Neymar scored his first goal since returning to Brazilian football and provided an assist, leading Santos to a 3-1 victory over lowly Agua Santa on Sunday, securing the top spot in Group B of the Campeonato Paulista.
Two weeks after arriving in Brazil, Santos’ No 10 opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he won a penalty and scored after being brought down in the box.
The home side doubled their lead with a goal from Thaciano in the 25th minute, and Netinho closed the gap before the end of the first half.
In the second half, when Santos seemed lost on the pitch, Neymar received a pass inside the box but failed to connect with the ball, so from the floor he made a perfect pass to Guilherme, for the ‘Peixe’ to score the third goal.
Sunday’s match marked the fourth game played by the former PSG player in his homeland. He appeared more relaxed on the pitch and showcased a more attacking style of play. However, he became fatigued in the second half and did not complete the match.
Only recently recovered from a serious knee injury and various muscle problems, Neymar has been making progress in fits and starts after rejoining Santos on 31st January following the termination of his multi-million-dollar contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The star made his debut with a 1-1 draw at home to Botafogo of Sao Paulo, repeated the stalemate against Novorizontino (0-0), lost the ‘Clasico’ against Corinthians (2-1) and finally got a win for Santos on Sunday in the group stage of the Campeonato Paulista.
