Even visibly limited by pain in his left knee, Neymar led Santos in a 3-0 victory over Sport, this Friday (28), at Vila Belmiro, in the 36th round of the Brasileirão. The result took the team to 41 points — two more than Vitória — and took the team out of the relegation zone, now in 15th position. The round also confirmed Juventude’s relegation. Hours earlier, the team from Rio Grande do Sul drew 1-1 with Bahia, in Caxias do Sul. Juventude and Sport, bottom with just 17 points, will compete in Série B in 2026.
Peixe controlled the game from the beginning, exploiting plays on the sides. Neymar played on the left midfield, with quick touches and constant participation in creation. Even though they were already relegated, Sport looked for counterattacks and managed to balance the match at times.
The first clear chance came in the 15th minute, when Neymar sent a cross and the ball deflected into the defense. On the rebound of the play, Souza forced goalkeeper Gabriel to make a good save. Sport then grew, but an error by Lucas Lima led to the counterattack that resulted in the first goal: Guilherme carried the ball and sent it to Neymar, who hit the ball to open the scoring at 25.
With the advantage, the Vila team expanded soon after. After Arão’s header hit the post, Thyere tried to clear it, but shot at Lucas Kal and scored against: 2-0. The pace dropped at the end of the first half, with Santos managing the result and Sport trying to take advantage of the spaces. Goalkeeper Gabriel avoided a bigger score with good saves.
In the final stage, the scenario remained. With little pressure on the marking, Neymar stood out distributing passes, although wasted by his teammates. In the 22nd minute, however, the number 10 took a corner from the left and found João Schmidt, who headed the third goal. Three minutes later, the referee awarded a penalty to Santos. Neymar got ready to take the shot, but the move was canceled due to offside at the origin of the play.
Vila Belmiro, packed, had a party atmosphere. Neymar even forced Gabriel to save another free kick and almost scored a great goal in the 42nd minute. Replaced by Gabriel Bontempo at 44, he left the field with an ovation. The night ended with relief and Santos celebration.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
