Santos saw off Cruzeiro 2-1 in the Brazilian Serie A on Saturday at the Urbano Caldeira, extending their unbeaten run to three matches. The hosts dominated possession and chances but relied on a late strike from Matheus Pereira to secure all three points. Cruzeiro, sitting sixth in the table, drew level through an own goal before Pereira's 90th-minute finish proved decisive.
Benjamín Rollheiser opened the scoring in the 28th minute, and Fabrício Bruno's own goal in the 32nd gave Santos a comfortable lead. The visitors struggled to create clear opportunities, managing only four shots on target compared to Santos' nine. By then the match had settled into a pattern where Santos controlled territory but Cruzeiro defended resolutely.
Substitutions began flowing in the second half, with Lucas Romer among the first changes for Cruzeiro in the 45th minute. Santos brought on Matheus Henrique and Everton in quick succession around the 74th minute, looking to manage the game. The visitors responded with Keny Arroyo and Fagner, hoping to find a way through a stubborn defence.
The statistics told a familiar story of dominance without conversion. Santos registered 1.98 expected goals from 13 shots on target, yet only converted twice. Cruzeiro's 44 per cent shot accuracy meant they were more clinical with what they had, though their three corners compared to Santos' 13 showed who controlled the game.
And here's the thing about matches like this — the numbers rarely capture the full picture. Santos created more chances but Cruzeiro kept their heads under pressure until the final whistle. The own goal and late winner meant the visitors left empty-handed despite a respectable defensive display.
The result leaves Santos in 10th place with 35 points from 26 matches, while Cruzeiro remain sixth on 42 points after 27 games. Both sides have mixed recent form, with Santos showing vulnerability in defence and Cruzeiro struggling for consistency away from home.