Neymar out as Santos Vs Deportivo Cuenca needs a win

Santos vs Deportivo Cuenca arrives with Santos still alive, but only just. The club sits in last place in Group D and needs a win at home to keep real chances of advancing in the Copa Sudamericana.

Neymar misses Santos' last date

Neymar will not be available because he continues to have muscle discomfort, removing the team’s most recognizable forward from a match it has to win. Santos hosts Deportivo Cuenca on the final matchday, and the assignment is plain: take three points or watch the group-stage picture slip away.

That absence forces Santos to look for a different route through the game. The margin for error is thin because the team reached the final date in last place, yet it still had clear chances to move on before this closing round.

San Lorenzo and Recoleta matter

Santos does not control every part of the table. It also needs San Lorenzo to draw or beat Recoleta, and if Santos beats Deportivo Cuenca while San Lorenzo gets points, Santos would finish second in the group.

The first tiebreaker between Santos and San Lorenzo is tied after their two draws in the group stage, so goal difference becomes the deciding factor if Recoleta wins. That leaves Santos with a narrow path: win its own match and hope the other result breaks the right way.

Group D goes to the wire

The backdrop is an uneven campaign that has already mixed strong outings with results that raised doubts. Santos has only one clean route left, and it begins with Deportivo Cuenca on the last date of Group D. Anything less than a win leaves the club leaning on other results instead of its own finish.