Neymar made an impressive comeback from injury, converting two penalties and helping Santos reach a 2-2 draw against Flamengo at “Vila Belmiro“. The Brazilian star appeared in the game after the break after missing more than a month with a muscle problem in his right thigh.
The visitors looked close to victory after Danilo opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, and in the added time of the first half Lucas Paqueta doubled Flamengo's lead after an assist from Jorge Carrascal.
Santos had their chances, but failed to score before the break. To start the second half, coach Kuka put Neymar in place of Philippe Coutinho. The striker was still not fully recovered and admitted after the match that he had avoided putting more serious strain on his injured leg, including long passes and set pieces.
The key moment came around the 71st minute, when Jorginho played with his hand during an attack by Roni near the penalty area. Initially, referee Anderson Daronco awarded a foul outside the penalty area and showed a yellow card, but after a lengthy VAR review, he changed his decision. Santos was awarded a penalty and Jorginho was sent off with a straight red card.
Neymar got behind the ball and in the 82nd minute reduced the home team's deficit. Just five minutes later, Santos was awarded a second penalty after a foul by Luis Araujo on Gabigol. The star was accurate again and made the final 2:2.
So with two goals in the final part of the match, Neymar helped Santos avoid defeat.
After the draw, Flamengo remains at the top of the standings with 61 points, while Santos has 42 and continues the battle for a place in the Copa Libertadores.