Santos Edge Remo in Late Drama at Mangueirão
Santos secured a 2-1 victory over Remo at Mangueirão on Saturday evening, a result that keeps them clear of trouble in the middle of the table while Remo's position in 19th place looks increasingly precarious. It was not a match that announced itself as anything special, but by then you understand how these things often unfold — the decisive moments arrive when you least expect them. We had given Remo the edge, confidence at 43 per cent, and the match proceeded in a manner that made that assessment look premature. Rony opened the scoring for Santos in the 78th minute, and though Marllon equalised shortly after, Gabriel Barbosa snatched it at the death before matters were complicated further.
The rhythm of the game shifted noticeably in the second half, when both sides made changes that altered the tempo. Vitor Bueno and Gustavo Henrique came on for Remo in the 63rd and 71st minutes, while Santos brought on Ze Ricardo and Leonel Picco together at the 74th-minute mark. Things came to a head in the final minutes when Gabriel Poveda received a red card in the 90+3rd minute, a moment that left Remo to finish the match with ten men. The incident went to review, though the review was brief — Poveda was already in the book, and the second caution was a formality.
The statistics tell a story that does not quite match the final scoreline. Remo had 48 per cent possession and created one big chance, while Santos managed 52 per cent and registered two. Expected goals favoured Santos at 0.9 to 0.77, and the shot accuracy figures — 36 per cent for the visitors compared with 29 per cent for the hosts — suggest Santos were more clinical. Remo attempted 21 crosses against 12 from Santos, but only five landed successfully. There were 16 tackles on each side, but clearances were heavily weighted toward the visitors at 32 to 16.
The result leaves Santos in eighth place with 38 points from 27 games, while Remo sit 19th on 23 points after 28 matches. The visitors arrive at this fixture having won two of their last five, including a 2-1 victory over Cruzeiro, though they also suffered a heavy 4-2 defeat to Atlético Mineiro. Remo have lost four of their last five league matches, their only point coming in a 1-1 draw with Internacional. The gap between the two sides in the table remains significant, and neither side has much room for error as the season progresses.
