Peixe now has 6 points and is outside the qualifying zone for the knockout stage
Santos and Red Bull Bragantino played a bureaucratic game this Sunday and drew goalless at Neo Química Arena in the fifth round of Paulistão. Santos now has 6 points and is outside the qualifying zone for the knockout stages. The team from Bragança Paulista, the only undefeated team in the competition, reached 11 points and left the lead, now occupied by Palmeiras, with 12.
With the support of the fans, Santos started the match surrounding Bragantino’s goalkeeper Cleiton’s area, but the real scoring chances took a while to appear. Only at the end of the first half, when Santos managed to impose speed, did Gabigol finish from the edge of the area with some danger, but the ball went too high and went over the crossbar.
The visitors had difficulty articulating plays and getting rid of Santos’ pressure at the beginning of the match. As time went by, Bragantino improved. While Cleiton accumulated hasty goal attempts in defense, Eduardo Sasha managed to make Gabriel Brazão work in the 20th minute by finishing a cross, first time, inside the area. It was the best chance for the interior team in the bureaucratic first half.
Sasha also had the best chance at the beginning of the second half when he hit Brazão’s crossbar after finishing a cross from the left inside the area, in the 9th minute. Vagner Mancini’s team started to have more possession of the ball, but dangerous plays remained rare.
Santos improved a little with the entry of Mateus Xavier in place of Lautaro Díaz, who was booed by the fans, at 29. The team achieved a little more speed, but without threatening Cleiton’s goal. At 40, after a corner kick, Lucas Barbosa made a mistake and almost scored for Bragantino.
Brazão saved Santos from defeat at 45, when Fernando was thrown between the defenders, he came face to face with the goalkeeper, who managed to keep the ball. The Santos fans protested against the team, which has only one victory in the championship, in its debut against Bragantino.
In the sixth round of Paulista, Santos competes in the classic with São Paulo at MorumBis, on Saturday, while Bragantino hosts São Bernardo, on Sunday. Before that, however, the two teams debut in the Brazilian Championship, on Wednesday. Santos will go to Arena Condá to face Chapecoense, while Bragantino travels to Paraná and plays Coritiba.
*Estadão Content
