By Sachit Subba • INTERNATIONAL CLUB FOOTBALL • Jul 26, 2026 00:54 AM • 55 views
SAO PAULO — Neymar was both a blessing and a bane for Santos at Vila Belmiro, scoring twice, collecting a costly booking, and seeing his side draw 2-2 with bottom-placed Chapecoense in Round 20 of the Brazilian Championship (Brazilian Série A).
Returning to club action after his World Cup campaign with the Brazilian national team, the iconic number 10 instantly took centre stage. Santos dictated the tempo, overcoming a sluggish opening ten minutes with sustained attacking pressure. Neymar broke the deadlock after combining with Alvaro Barreal inside the box before slotting past the keeper. His celebratory gesture served as a direct jab at critics who scrutinised his recent participation in poker tournaments.
Chapecoense spent most of the opening stanza absorbing pressure, though defender Fernando squandered a gilt-edged chance from inside the six-yard box after a defensive lapse by the hosts.
Whatever Chapecoense manager Rafael Lacerda demanded during his triple halftime substitution, the impact was immediate. Five minutes into the second period, veteran playmaker Giovanni Augusto sliced open the Santos right flank before finding Marcinho to slot home the equaliser. The goal also marked a historical milestone in Brazilian football, as refereeing officials used semi-automatic offside technology for the first time in Série A to confirm Giovanni Augusto’s positioning before validating the strike.
Just minutes later, the Vila Belmiro crowd was stunned into silence. Yannick Bolasie whipped a delivery across the face of goal, forcing defender João Ananias into an own goal that completed Chapecoense’s sudden turnaround.
Facing an embarrassing home setback, Santos head coach Cuca made five substitutions to overload the attack. Neymar sparked the rescue effort late in the contest, finding Gabriel Menino in space. The full-back whipped a dangerous ball toward Caballero, who was bundled over inside the penalty box. Neymar then stepped up and dispatched the 89th-minute spot-kick with absolute calm to salvage a point.
The drama did not end with the goals. Neymar earned a yellow card for a fiery confrontation following an opponent's foul. Already walking a disciplinary tightrope, the booking rules him out of Santos’ upcoming league clash against Athletico Paranaense. Watching from the VIP boxes was AC Milan forward Rafael Leão, who attended as Neymar's guest to witness his idol in action.
The result leaves Santos 14th in the standings with 22 points, leapfrogging Grêmio and Internacional. Chapecoense remain rooted to the bottom of the 20-team ladder with 10 points, eight adrift of 19th-placed Remo.
Santos next host Universidad Central de Venezuela on Tuesday in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana playoff, holding a comfortable 4-1 advantage from the opening leg. Meanwhile, Chapecoense turn their focus to Sunday's Copa do Brasil Round of 16 opener against Cruzeiro at Arena Condá.
