Palmeiras hosts Santos this Saturday, at 6:30 pm, in a match valid for the 14th round of Campeonato Brasileiro 2026. The confrontation takes place at Allianz Parque, home of the alviverde team, which seeks to consolidate its position at the top of the leaderboard. The broadcast of the event will be exclusive to subscribers of the Premiere channel throughout the national territory.
The home team is going through a period of technical stability and has an unbeaten run of 12 matches in the current season. With 32 points won, the group led by João Martins — who replaces the suspended Abel Ferreira — has a six-point advantage over vice-leader Flamengo. On the other hand, Santos is under pressure and is trying to escape the relegation zone, without winning an official match since April 11th.
Prováveis lineups and tactical changes
Palmeiras must maintain the base that was recently served by Copa Libertadores of América. The main news among the starters is the return of defender Murilo, who was absent in the last round of the national competition due to an automatic suspension. Carlos Miguel remains the main goalkeeper of the squad.
On the Santos side, coach Cuca plans structural changes to the defensive line and the midfield sector. Igor Vinicius should resume the starting role on the right flank, while João Schmidt is the favorite to start the classic in Willian Arão’s place. The team is trying to find a balance after adverse results that pushed it to the bottom of the table.
Confirmed Desfalques and absence of Neymar
The big absence from the São Paulo classic is striker Neymar, from Santos. The technical committee chose to spare the number 10 shirt due to the high accumulated physical wear and tear and the impact of the synthetic grass at the Palmeiras arena. With the absence of the main star, the offensive responsibility falls to Gabigol and Rollheiser.
- Palmeiras:Abel Ferreira (suspended), Paulinho, Piquerez and Vitor Roque (injured).
- Santos:Neymar (spared), Gabriel Menino, Lautaro Diaz, Gustavo Henrique and Thaciano (medical department).
- Arbitragem:Raphael Claus referees the game, assisted by Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis and Evandro of Melo Lima.
- VAR:The operation of the video referee will be the responsibility of Diego Pombo Lopez.
Retrospecto and scenario in the table
Palmeiras boasts the longest undefeated streak among all Série and Brasileirão clubs. Defensive consistency and performance at home place the club in a comfortable position in the isolated lead. The team has ten wins and two draws in the last matches, keeping a safe distance from Fluminense and Flamengo.
Santos’s situation is the opposite, with the team struggling to score points and avoid early relegation. The streak of victories that has lasted for almost a month has increased the toll on the work of Cuca and his team. A victory in the derby away from home is seen as the necessary turning point for the psychological recovery of the group of players.