Neymar ends Santos goal drought, back on the scoresheet | OneFootball

After seven matches without scoring, Neymar found the net again in the 1-1 draw between Santos and Mirassol, during the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship. The goal ended an uncomfortable drought: the number 10 hadn't scored since August 4, when he netted twice in a 3-1 victory over Juventude, in the 18th round.

Since then, the attacking midfielder had gone scoreless against Cruzeiro, Vasco, Fluminense, Atlético-MG, Fortaleza, Flamengo, and Palmeiras.

The drought matched a negative record that Neymar hadn't registered since the end of his first stint with the club. The last time he went seven or more games without scoring for Santos was in 2013, right before transferring to Barcelona.

At that time, the player last scored in a 2-0 victory over Flamengo-PI, in the return leg of the Copa do Brasil's first phase. After that, he went two games without scoring in the national tournament, five matches in the Campeonato Paulista, and also failed to score in the Brasileirão debut against Flamengo.

Neymar vs. Mirassol

Neymar had an excellent first half. Just three minutes in, he scored the first goal of the match. The number 10 was smart in his movement and faced Walter one-on-one after a beautiful pass from Lautaro Díaz.

In the second half, however, he became the villain. Just over 10 minutes in, he committed a silly penalty on Reinaldo. The referee reviewed the play on VAR and called the foul on the black-and-white captain. On the penalty, the left-back hit the net.

According to Sofascore data, Neymar finished the match with one goal, three key passes, six shots (two on target), and six duels won.

Standings Situation

With the draw, Santos remains on the edge of the relegation zone. The team is in 16th place, with 37 points, one more than Vitória, who secured a draw against Palmeiras tonight at Allianz Parque.

Next Santos Match

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