Luciano Benched Again: São Paulo Prepares for Santos Clash
According to reports from Bolavip, São Paulo has completed their preparations to face Santos in a classic match that will take place this Sunday (20th), at 16:00 (Brasília time), at the Morumbis stadium. Luciano is set to start on the bench for the second consecutive game under the management of Luis Zubeldía.
As per Bolavip, the training session began with a warm-up and ball exercises, overseen by the technical committee. Luis Zubeldía led a tactical training session with team adjustments and simulated game situations, including build-up plays, defensive and offensive set pieces.
To conclude, a technical drill on crosses and finishes, and a reduced-field confrontation activity were carried out. São Paulo is not expecting any injured players to return for the classic, but it appears that Luciano’s number 10 jersey is not guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup.
Luciano Out of the Starting Lineup
As reported by Bolavip, Zubeldía dropped Luciano from the starting lineup in the previous match against Botafogo, opting for Matheus Alves in midfield. The young player impressed the technical committee and will remain in the team alongside another youngster: Lucas Ferreira.
SP – SAO PAULO – 10/04/2025 – COPA LIBERTADORES 2025, SAO PAULO X ALIANZA LIMA – Luciano jogador do Sao Paulo reclama com a arbitragem durante partida contra o Alianza Lima no estadio Morumbi pelo campeonato Copa Libertadores 2025. Foto: Fabio Giannelli/AGIF
The expectation is for a sold-out crowd for the clash against Santos. São Paulo is seeking their first win in the Brazilian Championship. The club has announced a partial sale of 47,000 tickets so far. Luciano is expected to start on the bench and may be used during the game.
Probable São Paulo Lineup
As per Bolavip, the team is likely to make changes, mainly in the offensive sector. One path for Zubeldía is to maintain the attacking duo of Ferreira and André Silva. Matheus Alves and Lucas Ferreira complete the offensive quartet.
A possible lineup, as reported by Bolavip, could be:
Rafael; Ferraresi, Arboleda, Alan Franco and Enzo Díaz; Alisson, Marcos Antônio and Matheus Alves; Lucas Ferreira, Ferreira and André Silva. Luciano may be used in the second half.
