Santos Face Recoleta With 2 Group D Points at Stake — Recoleta Vs Santos
recoleta vs santos arrives in Asuncion on Tuesday, May 5, with Santos bottom of Group D on two points and Recoleta still chasing a first win. The fourth-round Copa Sudamericana match sits inside a narrow margin now, because both sides have left points on the table and three rounds remain.
Asuncion, May 5
Recoleta have drawn all three of their group matches, leaving them third in Group D with three points. They opened with a 1-1 draw against San Lorenzo, then shared a 1-1 result with Santos and a 0-0 draw with Deportivo Cuenca.
Santos come in with two points from three matches and need a response quickly to keep their qualification hopes alive. Their position leaves little room for another flat night, especially with the group stage already moving into its final stretch.
Recoleta Missing Richart Ortiz
Richart Ortiz will not be available for Jorge Gonzalez’s side because of a fractured cheekbone. That removes the scorer from the previous meeting at Vila Belmiro, where he found the net in the 1-1 draw with Santos.
Alexander Franco returns from suspension for Recoleta, giving Gonzalez at least one change from the side that has kept its shape but not turned enough draws into wins. The numbers show the issue plainly: Recoleta have been hard to break down, yet the three points from three stalemates still leave them short of the pace they need.
The pressure sits just as heavily on Santos, who have gone five matches without a win across all competitions and are on a nine-game winless run on the road. Cuca takes his team to Paraguay with Neymar and Gabigol among the available names, but the task is simpler than the squad list: stop the slide and turn a one-point deficit into a route back into the group race.
Cuca Chases A Response
The wider picture is tight. Santos are bottom, but the gap is not fatal yet, and three rounds remain for them to recover ground if they can finally string together a result away from home. Recoleta, meanwhile, have already shown they can stay in matches; what they still have to prove is that a disciplined draw can become a win before the group table closes in.
