Analysis: even with Neymar, Santos play poorly and bow out of the Paulista | OneFootball

*By Thiago Henrique

The 2-1 defeat to Novorizontino this Sunday, away from home, marked the elimination of Santos from the Campeonato Paulista. Despite creating some chances and having Neymar back among the starters, the Alvinegro Praiano is struggling to play well this season.

In a scrappy first half, Santos had the best chance of the initial stage towards the end, with Rony, who missed a clear opportunity with the score still tied. On the counterattack, a bad pass from Neymar led to a goal for Novorizontino. Halftime with the hosts leading.

In the second half, Santos pushed forward but found it very difficult to break through Novorizontino's defense. Even without Neymar's brilliance and with Gabigol subdued, the Peixe managed to equalize with a good shot from Gabriel Bontempo.

The final stretch of the match remained scrappy, as at the beginning of the first half. In the dying moments, literally in the last play, fate was cruel to Santos. In a move that started from a throw-in, Novorizontino eliminated Santos and secured their spot in the semifinals of the Paulistão.

And now?

Now Santos needs to get back on track this season. To try to change the performance of these first months of 2026, the Alvinegro Praiano needs to react urgently. Last year, the team already fought against relegation, and the script promises to repeat if the scenario remains the same.

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Santos' Phase

Eliminated from the Campeonato Paulista, Santos is focusing its attention on the Brasileirão. The Alvinegro Praiano started poorly in the competition and has only one point from the first three rounds, occupying the 18th position.

Next match

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