Atlético beaten by Santos at Vila, unbeaten Brasileirão run ends | OneFootball

Atlético were beaten 1-0 by Santos on Saturday night (11) at Vila Belmiro, in the 11th round of the Brazilian Championship Série A. In a match with little attacking inspiration and plenty of physical battles, Galo were ultimately undone by a more efficient opponent and missed the chance to firmly establish themselves near the top of the table.

After resting starters in the Copa Sudamericana in midweek, coach Eduardo Domínguez, “Barba,” sent out the strongest lineup he had available, backing a core group that had been building some continuity. Even so, the black-and-white side struggled to impose its game, especially in attack.

Check out the lineup:

A first half short on creativity

The opening half was marked by a strong physical edge and plenty of battles in midfield. Santos looked more comfortable in the match, taking advantage of Atlético’s mistakes when playing out from the back to create chances. On several occasions, the São Paulo side threatened Everson’s goal, but lacked finishing.

On Atlético’s side, the strategy of hitting on the counterattack barely worked. The team lacked creativity and organization to turn possession into clear chances. There was also clear concern about Neymar, with Galo at times using double marking on the Santos forward.

Despite Santos’ greater attacking volume, the score remained goalless until halftime.

A counterattack goal decides the match

After the break, Atlético tried to take a more aggressive approach and even hinted at some early pressure. However, the game quickly shifted back in Santos’ favor, as they began finding more space.

In the 18th minute, Peixe opened the scoring with a quick move. After Atlético pushed forward and lost possession, Gabigol produced a fine pass for Moisés, who beat Atlético’s defense for pace and finished clinically to make it 1-0.

After the goal, Santos slowed the tempo and began managing their lead. Atlético, in turn, had more of the ball but kept running into the same problems: a lack of creativity and difficulty producing dangerous finishes.

Trying to find an equalizer, Domínguez made changes throughout the second half. Bernard and youngster Cauã Soares came on for Natanael and Reinier. Shortly after, Dudu replaced Hulk, and in the final minutes, Alexsander and Cassierra came on for Pérez and Vitor Hugo.

Even with the changes, the overall picture barely changed. Galo kept possession and hovered around the opposition box, but could not turn that control into clear scoring chances.

Unable to respond, Atlético left the field defeated, bringing their recent positive run to an end and letting important away points slip away.

What’s next…

Galo now turn their focus to the Copa Sudamericana. The team host Uruguay’s Juventud de Las Piedras at Arena MRV, looking for their first win in the international competition. The match will be played next Thursday (16) at 7 p.m.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.