A year and a half after the defeat that sealed their historic relegation to Serie B, Santos once again face Fortaleza, this time in Matchday 12 of the Brasileirão Betano. That night at Vila Belmiro was dramatic, with the 2-1 win for the Ceará side ending the São Paulo club’s uninterrupted 111-year stay in Brazil’s top division. This time, the match will take place at Castelão, but the emotional weight of the encounter remains. Both teams come into this clash in poor form: Fortaleza sit 17th with 10 points, while Santos follow in 18th with 8 points. It’s been a disappointing start to the season for both, marked by a lack of offensive firepower. Santos, back in the spotlight due to Neymar’s sensational return, have struggled to score. The former Seleção star, however, will be absent due to suspension following a red card in the 1-0 defeat to Botafogo. Fortaleza are on a three-game losing streak in the league, culminating in a heavy 5-0 loss to Flamengo, the current league leaders. Coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s side hasn’t won a league match in over a month and has failed to score in the last three games. A rare positive is their qualification for the Copa Libertadores round of 16, achieved despite a loss to Racing Club. Santos briefly showed signs of life with a 1-0 win over Vitória, but immediately stumbled again. For manager Cleber Xavier, appointed on April 29 to reverse the club’s fortunes, this is a genuine relegation battle: a win would see them leapfrog Fortaleza in the table. Given the standings, the poor form of both sides, and the high stakes, a tense and hard-fought match is likely—where the fear of losing may outweigh the desire to win.

Fortaleza's Recent Form and Key Stats

Fortaleza are going through a very rough patch. Their latest 5-0 thrashing by Flamengo marked their third consecutive loss in the Brasileirão Betano, following a 0-2 home defeat to Cruzeiro and a 1-0 loss to Racing Club in the Copa Libertadores.

A telling sign of their struggles is their three-match goalless run. Their defense isn’t faring much better, having conceded in each of the last five matches.

After 11 rounds, Fortaleza are 17th in the table with 10 points from 2 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses. They’re averaging 0.91 goals scored and 1.36 conceded per game. Their home form is slightly better, with 7 points from 5 home games (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses), scoring 8 and conceding 4.

Santos' Recent Form and Key Stats

It’s been a miserable start to the season for Santos, who come off a 1-0 loss to Botafogo in a match overshadowed by Neymar’s red card in the 77th minute. The dismissal, due to two bookings, reflects the frustration and instability within Cleber Xavier’s team, who have won only once in their last nine games in all competitions (5 losses, 3 draws).

Santos sit 18th in the table with just 8 points from 11 games: 2 wins, 2 draws, and 7 losses. They've scored only 8 goals and conceded 12. Even more concerning is their away record, with a lone win (1-0 over Vitória on May 25) and 5 defeats.

Fortaleza vs Santos Prediction and Tactical Overview

The last meeting between these two teams remains a sore memory for Santos. On December 7, 2023, a 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza sealed their relegation from the Brasileirão for the first time in their 111-year history.

This season, Fortaleza’s offensive crisis is glaring: just one goal in their last six matches across Brasileirão Betano and Copa Libertadores. However, their home defense shows promise, with three clean sheets in their last five home games across all competitions.

Santos, meanwhile, have also scored just one goal in their last five competitive matches. A small consolation is their relatively solid backline, which has conceded only two goals in that span. But Neymar’s suspension, despite a lackluster season so far, removes one of the few attacking options for Cleber Xavier.

Considering both teams’ poor form and offensive struggles, the prediction for Fortaleza vs Santos (Matchday 12, Brasileirão Betano) leans toward a low-scoring affair, with a strong chance that at least one side will fail to score.

• Fortaleza vs Santos prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts that both teams will score at least one goal at 46%.
  
  
• Fortaleza vs Santos prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts that at least one of the two teams will not score a goal at 54%

Fortaleza vs Santos Predicted Lineups

FORTALEZA (4-3-3): Ricardo; Tinga, Kuscevic, Mancha, Mancuso; Pochettino, Welison, Martinez; Marinho, Deyverson, Pimenta. Manager: Juan Pablo Vojvoda

SANTOS (4-2-3-1): Brazao; Escobar, Ivaldo, Basso, Souza; Pituca, Rafael; Barreal, Rollheiser, Guilherme; Washington. Manager: Cleber Xavier