Santos vs Corinthians Prediction: The Black and White Classic is the big game of the round

This season, Santos will be playing in the Série B for the first time, and Corinthians are also far from their best, but when these teams meet, all that will be forgotten. It's the oldest Paulista classic, the Black and White Classic. The two teams have met 309 times. Corinthians has won 122 games, and Santos has won 98. The rivals have drawn 89 times.

The Fish is at the top of Group A with 12 points, four wins, and just one defeat against the mighty Palmeiras. It's worth remembering that in the Paulistão, the teams in the same group curiously don't play each other. Palmeiras is not in Group A but in Group B, where it is the leader. Santos has been doing well and could beat Corinthians, which is going through a tough patch at the start of the season. Santos' new coach, Fábio Carille, was Paulista and Brazilian champion with Corinthians and was very successful in his three-year spell in charge, from 2017 to 2019.

We had already warned here that Corinthians was in crisis and that a bad result in the classic with São Paulo could increase the pressure on coach Mano Menezes. Well, the Timão lost for the first time at the Neo Química Arena to São Paulo since the stadium was built in 2014 and Mano Menezes was sacked. So far, Corinthians has not found a replacement. The defeat at the Majestic Classic left its mark, and we'll see how the players react at the Vila Belmiro. For now, Corinthians are last in Group C. The team is currently in the relegation places in the Paulista. The two teams with the worst score will be relegated. Only one team has fewer points than Corinthians.

Although Santos plays in a lower division, it is a great club and a historic rival of Corinthians. The Fish plays at home and is in a much better position than its opponent. If nothing surprising happens on the eve of the game, Timão will have an interim coach on the bench. Sometimes, a situation like this can free up the players, but betting on a Corinthians win right now is too risky. I'm betting on a Double Chance for Santos with a game total of less than three goals.