Cruzeiro v Santos- Saturday 11th June- Mineirao Belo Horizonte (23:30)
Cruzeiro Santos
With the Brazilian Premier league just basically kicking off, teams are still trying to find their feet. These two have not made the best of starts thus far but will be out to emulate their performances of last season as they were both strong title contenders.
Cruzeiro has always been seen as a dominant force within the Brazilian league. They finished in a healthy 2nd spot last season and were unlucky not to be crowned champions as they fell short by a miserly 2 points. This campaign has not started brightly for A Raposa (The Fox’s) as they are known by their beloved supporters. They currently sit in a dismal 17th spot on the log, having lost 2 games and drawing 1. Manager Cuca will be looking for his squad to reach the heights of last season and go one step further and be crowned champions. Cuca is hungry to bring success to the club as they last won the Brazilian Serie A title in 2003. Club captain Fabio will need to rally his troops and get them in the right frame of mind to mount a formidable title surge. The likes of Brandao who is on loan from Marseille and Gilberto who has ample European experience as he was once on the books of Tottenham Hotspur will be expected to fire their team into gear and get them back in the hunt.
Santos will be looking to have an improved campaign compared to the last. They finished in a disappointing 8th place last season and will need a much better run in this term. They did however win the Copa Do Brasil and will be looking to carry that form into their title chase. The club has got a real battle on their hands as wonder kid Neymar is being tracked by all the heavyweights of world football and looks certain to leave the club in the summer with Chelsea seeming to be his favored choice. Manager Muricy Ramalho knows what it takes to win the title as he led Fluminense to the championship in 2010. The likes of Elano will provide that vital experience that could hopefully trigger the same form that won them the cup last season. The last time Santos lifted the title was in 2004 and manager Muricy Ramalho will be looking to add a third championship. Santos currently sit in 11th place and has accumulated 4 points from 3 games. They will need to put together a run of positive results to get them back in the title hunt.
This encounter is always filled with passion and one can expect nothing less. This tie will go to the wire and Santos should just have enough to get the win.
