Vasco DA Gama holds the edge based on a strong head-to-head record, winning two of the last three meetings against Santos. Santos sits just one point above Vasco in the standings, but the home side’s recent dominance in this fixture gives them the advantage.

Vasco’s midfield, led by **Thiago Mendes**, will look to control possession against Santos’s defensive pairing of **S. Pierri** and **João Alencar**. Santos will rely on **Willian Arão** to disrupt Vasco’s buildup and launch quick transitions to attacker **D. Fernandes**.

For Vasco, defender **J. Rodríguez** must contain Santos’s attack, while attacker **Nuno Moreira** provides the primary goal threat. For Santos, midfielder **Gabriel Bontempo** dictates the tempo, and defender **João Alencar** must neutralize Vasco’s forwards.

Vasco is without attacker **Brenner** and midfielder **Jair** for this fixture. Santos is missing midfielder **Gabriel Menino**, midfielder **João Schmidt**, and attacker **Thaciano**.