Santos crash out on penalties as Atlético Mineiro fight back

Santos went out of the Copa Sudamericana on penalties, beaten 3-1 in the shoot-out after losing 4-2 at Atlético Mineiro in the second leg of the quarter-final on 2026-09-17. The Brazilian side had arrived in Belo Horizonte holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

The tie turned inside the opening minute. Bernard put Atlético ahead after 17 seconds and doubled his tally on 18', with Fred supplying both assists, to level the aggregate score. Reinier made it 3-0 on the night in the 41st, teed up by Renan Lodi, though an own goal by Lyanco on 28' — after he failed to deal with a Benjamín Rollheiser free-kick — had briefly cut into the visitors' arrears.

Gabriel Barbosa restored Santos's aggregate lead in the 72nd minute, finishing a move started by Arthur Melo. Neymar was absent again, held out by a right thigh muscle injury, and Santos looked set to go through until Tomás Cuello equalised on the night in stoppage time, forcing penalties in front of roughly 40,000 supporters at the MRV Arena.

Atlético keeper Gabriel Delfim saved three of Santos's four penalties, sending Cuca's side through to the semi-finals. They will face Uruguay's Montevideo City Torque, who play Cienciano of Peru on Thursday for the other semi-final spot, while Boca Juniors meet Vasco da Gama in the tie's other last-four fixture.

Neymar's absence left Santos leaning on a back line built largely since the turn of the year — full-back João Felipe Schmidt Urbano and centre-back Gabriel Bontempo both joined in February, with Bontempo among the club's more productive defenders this season on five goals, while Luan Peres, at the club since 2020, anchored the defence that conceded four on the night.

The exit ends Santos's run in the competition without Neymar reaching the knockout rounds fit, and leaves the question of when he returns unresolved for a club now without continental football to plan around.