Santos’ mastermind, Neymar chases first assist in the Brasileiro | OneFootball

Santos faces Atlético-MG this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time) at Arena MRV, for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship, and Neymar has, as one of his goals, to register his first assist in the competition.

The number 10 of Peixe has played 12 games in the Brasileirão 2025, with three goals, but has not yet provided any assists. In the season for Santos, the forward has already scored six times and provided three assists in 20 matches played.

Despite playing on synthetic turf, a type of field that historically bothers him, Neymar is expected to start among the starters. The player has impressive numbers against Atlético-MG: in eight encounters, he scored six goals and provided three assists, including three wins, three losses, and two draws. In the first round of the Brasileiro, he had to leave the game at 34 minutes of the first half due to injury, when Santos defeated Galo 2-0 at Vila Belmiro.

Neymar has publicly criticized artificial pitches, comparing them to "society" and highlighting that they hinder the natural performance of the player. He participated in a campaign with other top Brazilian football players, such as Gabigol, Dudu, and Philippe Coutinho, calling for improvements in the fields and criticizing the continued use of synthetic surfaces in professional football.

This Sunday's match is crucial for Santos, which seeks to distance itself from the relegation zone. Neymar, alongside Guilherme and Barreal, the team's offensive leaders in numbers in this edition of the competition, will be a key player in trying to break Atlético-MG's resistance.

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