With 44 points, Santos moved up to 14th place in Serie A. They hold a one-point lead over Ceara and Fortaleza, and are two points clear of Vitoria, who currently occupy the final relegation position in 17th place.

Santos will conclude their season on Sunday at homeagainst Cruzeiro. Due to their better goal difference (-8 compared to -18), a draw should be sufficient to secure their safety.

Juventude, sitting second from bottom with 34 points, will bid farewell to Serie A on the road against Corinthians.

Neymar delivers

Neymar’s game-winning ability was crucial, as the match was challenging for Santos despite playing an already relegated opponent.

The visitors managed only one shot in the first 30 minutes and had to wait anxiously while VAR checked Gabriel Taliari’s goal, which was ultimately disallowed for offside.

Neymar demonstrated sharp awareness, almost scoring from midfield by exploiting Juventude goalkeeper Jandrei'sadvanced positioning.

The visitors’ performance improved slightly towards the end of the first half, and shortly after the break, the match opened up.

Neymar’s first two goals were largely due to his intelligent movement. For the opener, he passed left to Guilherme and then sprinted into the box to finish immediately.

For the second goal, he joined the counterattack led by Igor Vinicius, broke past the defense, and finished with his left foot. He also stayed composed to score the penalty earned byLautaro Diaz.

With seven minutes remaining, Neymar was substituted for Thaciano and exited the field to a standing ovation.

Farewell?

Another player who received applause as he left the pitch was veteran Nene. At 44 years old, he played for about an hour before being taken off. The attacking midfielder has yet to decide his future after his contract with Juventude expires.