Santos beat São Paulo: only their 2nd win without Neymar since his arrival | OneFootball

The victory of Santos over São Paulo by 1 to 0 at Vila Belmiro, during the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship, marked a curious achievement: it was only the second victory of Peixe without Neymar on the field since the star joined the team. Since February, when the number 10 debuted for Santos, the team struggled to achieve positive results in his absence, whether due to injury or suspension. The first victory without the attacking midfielder was against Fortaleza in June, and now Guilherme secured the triumph that restores confidence to the squad.

The history shows Peixe's difficulty without its main player. Throughout the season, Neymar missed 12 matches between the Paulista Championship, Copa do Brasil, and Brasileirão, and in these games, Santos had a success rate of only 25%, with two wins, three draws, and seven losses. With him on the field, the performance rises to 52.3%, with nine wins, six draws, and six losses.

In the classic against São Paulo, Santos managed to overcome this dependency. The team controlled the game for most of the time, creating chances and maintaining a solid defense. Guilherme, who had been criticized in recent games, stood out by scoring the only goal of the match, taking advantage of a cross from Rollheiser in the 14th minute of the second half. With defensive organization and pressure at the right moments, Peixe withstood the tricolor pressure and secured three valuable points.

The triumph also brought relief in the standings. With the result, Santos climbed to the 15th position, with 26 points, opening a four-point lead over Vitória, which starts the relegation zone.

Neymar's Situation

Despite the good performance, Neymar's absence remains a concern, as the star is still sidelined with a right thigh rectus femoris muscle injury, with a return expected in at least a month. The victory against São Paulo, therefore, besides being important for Santos' campaign, shows that the team can eventually overcome difficulties without its main player, although the season's history demonstrates that there is still much work to consolidate this independence.

Next Santos Game

Red Bull Bragantino vs. Santos (25th round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 28/09 (Sunday), at 6:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Cícero De Souza Marques Municipal Stadium, in Bragança Paulista

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