Analysis: Santos use Neymar and Gabigol returns, play well and rally | OneFootball

Santos delivered an important response in front of its home fans on Saturday night by beating Atlético-MG 1-0 in the 11th round of the Brazilian Championship. For the match, Peixe welcomed back Neymar and Gabigol to the starting lineup.

Despite the win, one point worth highlighting is the team’s lack of efficiency. Santos controlled virtually the entire match but had trouble finding the net. Gabigol scored in the first half, but the goal was ruled out for a handball after the refereeing review. The complaints over the play even led to coach Cuca being sent off around the 20th minute.

Although they did not go into halftime with the lead, which was possible, Santos looked more organized defensively and held off Galo’s few attacking moves. The Minas Gerais side posed almost no threat to the goal defended by Gabriel Brazão.

From the opening minutes, Peixe showed an aggressive approach and looked to occupy the attacking half. Neymar was very involved, whether creating or finishing plays. Wearing the No. 10 shirt, he threatened Everson’s goal with his shots.

Gabigol also played an important role. The striker found the net in the first half after a deflection on Igor Vinícius’ cross, but the goal was disallowed for handball. Even so, Santos remained in control and kept pressing Galo, who only managed to threaten late on with a shot from Cuello.

Cuca saw the need for a change in attack and brought on Moisés in place of Rony. Wearing No. 21, he made an immediate impact and scored the goal that decided the match. Hulk misplaced the ball while trying to play out from the back, Veríssimo pressed and passed to Gabigol, who showed great vision by releasing Moisés into space. No. 21 beat Natanael for pace and finished past Everson in the 17th minute of the second half.

More than just the win, the night at Vila Belmiro showed signs of improvement from Santos and better overall team play, with the defensive solidity and attacking volume standing out. The team is trying to make the most of this run of home matches to rebuild confidence and improve on its weaknesses.

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Santos’ situation

With the win, Peixe moved up to 14th place with 13 points, five more than Chapecoense. The Santa Catarina side sits in 17th place, opening the relegation zone, with eight points, two fewer than Corinthians, the first team outside the bottom four.

Santos’ next match

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