Santos Fight Back as Neymar Shines and Gabigol Hits 100 in Copa Sudamericana
Santos were rocked early, lost two players before the break, saw VAR chop off goals and still found a way. On a tense night at Vila Belmiro this Thursday (13), Peixe turned a chaotic first leg into a precious 2-1 win over Macará in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.
Gabigol and Willian Arão scored the goals that flipped the tie. Neymar dictated the tempo and, when it mattered most, bent the game to his will.
It was only Santos’ third victory in 14 matches this year with Neymar and Gabigol starting together. It felt like one they simply could not afford to let slip.
A wild first half: early blow, injuries, and Neymar’s touch
The night started badly. Very badly.
Just five minutes in, Santos switched off. Luan Peres gave too much room, Arão couldn’t tidy up the danger, and Franco Posse punished them, putting Macará 1-0 up and silencing the stadium.
Suddenly Santos had to chase, not just the scoreline, but their own composure. They needed to settle, to let their superior technique actually show on the pitch.
Gabigol began to wake the team up, drifting into pockets, creating chances, demanding the ball. But Cuca’s plans took another hit: Gabriel Menino went down and had to come off. Then Bontempo followed, forcing two substitutions before halftime and stretching the squad on a night that already felt heavy.
In the middle of the turbulence, the stars finally combined.
Neymar, wearing the No. 10, picked his pass. Gabigol, the No. 9, did the rest, finishing to score his 100th goal in a Santos shirt. A landmark moment, in a match that refused to calm down.
Even Neymar wasn’t spared the drama. He had to change his boots and then slipped, feeling pain in his left knee area and giving the fans another scare. He stayed on, though, and kept pulling strings.
VAR steps in and rips goals away
Santos came out after the break like a team on a mission. They pressed higher, moved the ball quicker, and Gabigol found the net twice more.
Or so he thought.
Both times, the flag went up and VAR confirmed it: offside. The first came after a clever dummy from Neymar, the second after a perfectly weighted pass from the No. 10. Same partnership, same finish, same outcome — chalked off.
The frustration grew. The crowd turned up the noise. The feeling that the night might be slipping away crept in.
Arão emerges as the unexpected hero
Santos refused to back off. They kept Macará pinned, battling not only a stubborn opponent but also the tension of a side under pressure, both in the cup and in the domestic fight against relegation.
Neymar took charge again.
From a corner, he caught the Macará defense napping. The delivery was sharp, quick, unexpected. Willian Arão attacked it and scored his first goal in a Santos shirt, completing the comeback and finally putting Peixe in front.
Santos were clearly the better team over the 90 minutes, but the scoreboard told a more cautious story: just a 2-1 lead to carry into the second leg.
The tie is alive — and the calendar is ruthless
The return leg is set for next Thursday (20) at Estadio Bellavista. Santos travel with the advantage: a draw is enough to see them through.
Macará know exactly what they need. A win by two or more goals sends them straight into the quarterfinals. A one-goal victory forces a penalty shootout.
Waiting in the next round will be Atlético or Red Bull Bragantino. Galo hold a 1-0 lead after the first leg in Bragança, and that part of the bracket is already simmering.
Before Santos can think about that, reality bites at home. Peixe now switch back to the Brasileirão, where they are the team currently opening the relegation zone. On Sunday (16), they go to São Januário to face 18th-placed Vasco in a direct scrap near the bottom.
A comeback, a milestone goal, Neymar in full command, VAR controversy, and only a narrow edge in the tie. With so much on the line in both competitions, is this the night that finally jolts Santos’ season into life — or just another brief pause before the next storm?
