Neymar in the stands as Santos beat Endrick’s Palmeiras

Neymar was present in the stands as his former team Santos beat a wobbly Palmieras side led by Endrick in the Paulistão final first leg.

The Verdão played a defensive game and their opponents took advantage of their style to dominate the ball and achieve an advantage that now allows them to dream of the title. Endrick, with a lot of hope on his shoulders after his strong performances for Brazil, played just 66 minutes and was barely able to appear on the ball.

The future Madrid forward had no clear chances to score and only got people on their feet for two passes that led to scoring chances. Added to this poor performance were fears regarding his fitness, as the player was seen with ice on his thigh after being substituted. Neymar, who was present at the ground, celebrated the victory in style from a box and excited his former fans before the game.

The Alvinegro started the match with more character, drive and a need to perform. The team that are set to play in Serie B had to take advantage of the support of their fans to obtain a result that will allow them to go into the second leg with a greater chance of success. It was evident in their attacking plat that they were carrying the weight of the game and as such, generated several dangerous chances for Weverton in goal.

Abel Ferreira did not want to take the slightest risk and put out a low block ready to defend, slow down the pace of the game and, if possible, hunt on the counter-attack with a minimum number of players. Despite the negativity, it was on the counter attack how the first big chance of the match came: a pass from Endrick set up a one-on-one from Lopez that João Paulo stopped well. And that was the end of that.

Along came the multitude of chances to score came from the home team. Shortly after, Guilherme had two clear sights on goal as Otero threatened from the other wing in a whirlwind of white shirts that piled towards goal time after time.

Right at the start of the second half, Palmeiras’ punishment was served up by Santos. Guilherme broke down the left, reached the by-line and delivered a masterful cross: Otero beat his markers and headed the ball into the net from close range to the delight of the screaming crowd. Endrick’s grit and determination generated one of the few half chances from his team but, as became a theme of the night, Santos kept the ball out of their net.

The reaction of the visitors was a triple substitution around the hour mark that took Endrick, who scored in the semi-final, out of the match along with López and Zé Rafael. Rony and Lázaro were brought on to reinforce the front line, but the dynamics of the match did not change. Rony did manage to carve out a huge chance in the area that was saved by the goalkeeper but Palmeiras were not able to dominate and put pressure on the opposing goal.

As such, Palmeiras will now have to think about how to turn the scoreline around with the support of their fans next Sunday if they want to defend their title. Before that, however, they must face the important Copa Libertadores opener with their visit to San Lorenzo on Wednesday. The calendar does not give any room for respite and Endrick’s fatigue was evident with the very demanding and emotional weeks he has gone through in recent times.