A solitary goal from Santos was enough to change the course of the match in the 14th round of the Brasileirao, ensuring a 1-0 win against Flamengo at the Vila Belmiro stadium. The decisive moment came in the 38th minute of the second half when Neymar struck the back of the net.
Following a well-timed cross from Guilherme, Neymar expertly converted, sealing the match for Santos.
Neymar was in fine form, contributing not only with his goal but also testing the Flamengo goalkeeper with two additional attempts on goal.
Gabriel Brazão also stood out with an impressive performance, making five crucial saves to deny Flamengo any chance of scoring.
Head coach Cléber Xavier deployed a 4-3-3 formation for Santos, with Gabriel Brazão in goal; a defensive line featuring Gonzalo Escobar, João Basso, Luan Peres, and Souza; a midfield trio of Tomás Rincón, Zé Rafael, and Neymar; and a forward line consisting of Álvaro Barreal, Deivid Washington, and Guilherme.
On the opposing side, Flamengo’s Filipe Kasmirski also chose a 4-3-3 setup, with Agustín Rossi guarding the net; defenders Wesley França, Léo Ortiz, Danilo, and Guillermo Varela; midfielders Jorginho, Allan, and Giorgian De Arrascaeta; and forwards Bruno Henrique, Gonzalo Plata, and Luiz Araújo.
Referee Felipe Fernandes de Lima oversaw the match proceedings.
In their next fixture, Santos will visit Mirassol, while Flamengo will host their rivals Fluminense in what promises to be an exciting Fla-Flu classic.
As a result of this match, Santos now sits in 13th place in the league with 14 points, while Flamengo remains high up the table with 27 points.
Substitutions for Santos
64’ 2H – Álvaro Barreal off, Robinho Júnior on
65’ 2H – Zé Rafael off, Diego Pituca on
74’ 2H – Deivid Washington off, Gabriel Bontempo on
88’ 2H – Guilherme off, Willian Arão on
Yellow Cards for Santos
40’ 1H – João Basso (Unsporting behavior)
26’ 2H – Luan Peres (Holding an opponent to prevent advancing)
Substitutions for Flamengo
45’ 2H – Léo Ortiz off, Léo Pereira on
62’ 2H – Allan off, Nicolás De La Cruz on; Luiz Araújo off, Everton Cebolinha on
79’ 2H – Bruno Henrique off, Wallace Yan on
86’ 2H – Giorgian De Arrascaeta off, Juninho Vieira on
Yellow Cards for Flamengo
22’ 1H – Jorginho (Removing shirt)
28’ 2H – Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Holding an opponent to prevent advancing)
31’ 2H – Bruno Henrique (Holding an opponent to prevent advancing)