Analysis: Santos finally turn good football into results, but can't let up | OneFootball

By Rodrigo Matuck

The more than 13,000 fans who attended Vila Belmiro on Wednesday night went home with a smile on their faces. Peixe finally managed to turn good football into results by defeating Corinthians 3-1 in the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Unlike recent matches, when they created numerous chances but failed to capitalize, the Alvinegro Praiano was clinical against Timão. On their very first attack, Zé Rafael took advantage of a corner kick from Barreal and headed the ball into the back of the net.

The early goal set the crowd on fire and gave the team a boost, and they didn’t let up throughout the first half. With great intensity, the team suffocated Corinthians, who couldn’t get past midfield.

Santos was rewarded with another goal still in the first half. Or rather, a stunner. Barreal drove the Santos fans wild with a beautiful, well-placed shot into the top corner, giving debutant Felipe Longo no chance at all.

Right after the break, the third goal came, this time from a penalty taken by Rollheiser. From then on, however, fatigue started to show. Peixe seemed to feel the tiredness and saw Corinthians begin to grow into the game. From a corner kick, Raniele took advantage of a collective defensive lapse to pull one back.

The atmosphere then changed a bit at Vila Belmiro. A certain tension could be felt, which was eased with each sliding tackle and every ball won by the Alvinegro Praiano.

The victory is of utmost importance for Santos, who now have 31 points, six more than Vitória, who are just above the relegation zone, and two fewer than Corinthians, currently in 12th place.

Now, however, Peixe cannot take their foot off the gas. It’s essential to maintain focus and energy to avoid repeating past mistakes, when they got carried away with certain victories and then slipped up with humiliating defeats, like the 6-0 loss to Vasco, for example.

Standings Situation

With the win over Corinthians, Santos gets some breathing room in the fight against relegation. Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s team remains in 16th place, but now with 31 points, six more than Vitória, who are just above the relegation zone. Leão, however, will play this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) against Bahia at home.

Santos’ Next Match

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