Neymar shines at Santos, eyes strong finish in Brasileirão | OneFootball

The decision-making power of Neymar is one of Santos' main hopes in the fight against relegation in the Brazilian Championship. The star has made the difference in the last two matches he played and aims to take the spotlight again against Juventude this Wednesday.

Santos got a breather in the Brasileirão by defeating Sport in the last round. Neymar shined in the 3-0 win at Vila Belmiro and was decisive in getting Peixe out of the relegation zone. Now, against already relegated Juventude, the star is trying to repeat his recent performance, as well as his first-round display, to help the team once again.

Neymar recently recovered from a muscle injury in his right thigh and returned to action for Santos on November 1st, against Fortaleza. Since then, the star has played in four of Alvinegro Praiano's six matches, starting in all of them.

Neymar was the protagonist against Mirassol and Sport (Photo: Raul Baretta/ Santos FC)

Against Mirassol, for example, the star was Santos' main character—both positively and negatively. The number 10 opened the scoring at four minutes, taking advantage of a pass from Lautaro Díaz on a counterattack. However, he ended the match as the villain after conceding a penalty on Reinaldo, which led to a draw for the team from the interior of São Paulo.

After the match, Neymar felt pain in his left knee and underwent tests, which revealed a contusion in the area. He was rested for the match against Inter, which Santos drew 1-1. The star, however, showed his willingness to play through pain, understanding the team's situation, and played against Sport.

It was precisely against Sport that the number 10, even in pain, took the spotlight and did what is expected of him. The forward found the net and paved the way for Santos' victory. Later, he also provided the assist for João Schmidt's goal, which sealed the win for the Santos side and lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Neymar was decisive against Juventude in the 1st round

Resuming his leading role at Santos in this decisive stretch of the season and playing through injury, Neymar is also looking to repeat his performance against Juventude from the first round. The star had one of his best games since returning, in the 3-1 win at Morumbis, in the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship.

On that occasion, the star scored the first goal and, already in the final stretch of the match, converted a penalty to close the score. According to Sofascore data, he also took six shots, four of them on target, and missed a big chance—in other words, he could have left Morumbis with a hat-trick.

Also according to the platform, the star had 74 actions with the ball, contributed five key passes, and completed three out of four crosses, in addition to completing 94% of his passes. He also suffered three fouls and recovered five balls, winning four ground duels.

Now, Neymar is looking to repeat his first-round performance to help Santos once again in the fight against relegation. Peixe sits in 16th place, with 41 points, the same as Internacional, who are just above the relegation zone. A win, therefore, is crucial for the club to remain in the top division.

Neymar's numbers this season

Current standings

At the moment, Santos is in 16th place in the Brasileirão, with 41 points, the same as Inter, the first team in the relegation zone. The São Paulo side has the advantage on goal difference.

Juventude, meanwhile, has already been mathematically relegated to Série B. The team from Rio Grande do Sul is in 19th place, with 34 points.

Upcoming Santos matches

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