Santos’ 3-2 win survives Internacional’s 15-shot response

Santos defeated Internacional 3-2 in Serie A’s regular-season round 26 on Sunday, September 6, recovering from a second-half response to hold on for victory in Porto Alegre. Santos led 3-0 at half-time, while Internacional’s late penalty reduced the deficit but did not change the result.

Santos seize control before the break

Santos made the decisive start. Gabriel Barbosa opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a normal goal, then doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 29th minute. The visitors extended their lead again in the 39th minute when Christian Oliva scored, assisted by Benjamín Rollheiser.

The first half also included a major disciplinary turning point. Internacional were reduced to 10 players in the 28th minute when Matheus Bahia was shown a red card, immediately before Santos converted its penalty. Rollheiser had been booked in the fifth minute, while Gabriel Barbosa received a yellow card after the interval.

Internacional respond but fall short

Internacional improved after the restart and pulled one goal back three minutes into the second half. Brian Aguirre finished a move assisted by Thiago Maia to make it 3-1 in the 48th minute. Bruno Henrique then converted a penalty in the 90th minute, creating a tense finish, but Santos protected its advantage through the remaining time.

The match included several further bookings. Ronaldo da Silva Souza and Paulo Lucas Santos de Paula were cautioned for Internacional, as were Vitinho and Aguirre. Gonzalo Escobar and Gustavo Henrique joined Santos’s four-yellow-card total with bookings in the 69th minute. Internacional finished with one red card, while Santos had none.

Statistics underline an unusual scoreline

Santos controlled possession, holding 59% to Internacional’s 41%, and completed 539 accurate passes compared with 328. However, the shot figures favored the hosts: Internacional attempted 15 shots, including eight from inside the box, while Santos had five attempts and only three on target. Santos were more efficient, scoring with three of their efforts on target; Internacional registered six shots on goal but required two penalties and a second-half goal to narrow the gap.

Table impact and standout performer

The victory moved Santos’ record to 29 points from 24 matches, keeping them 14th in the Serie A standings. Internacional remained 18th with 25 points from 25 games. The result adds a win to Santos’ recent sequence and extends Internacional’s difficult run, following a loss in their most recent form entry.

Christian Oliva was one of the match’s standout performers, earning an 8.2 rating after playing all 90 minutes, scoring once and making two tackles. Gabriel Barbosa matched that rating with two goals in 78 minutes, while Santos goalkeeper Gabriel Brazão made four saves.