Corinthians Advances to Paulista Final as Neymar Watches from Bench

Corinthians defeated Santos 2-1 in the Paulista Championship semifinal Sunday at Neo Química Arena. Santos star Neymar remained on the bench throughout the match due to physical discomfort, according to a post on his official Instagram account.

Yuri Alberto opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 11th minute. The forward connected with Memphis Depay’s precise cross following a short corner. Tiquinho Soares equalized for Santos in the 37th minute with a header from Guilherme’s corner kick.

Rodrigo Garro secured Corinthians‘ victory with a stunning second-half goal. The Argentine midfielder fired a shot into the top corner after receiving a pass from Angileri.

Santos faced additional challenges when defender Zé Ivaldo received a red card in the 35th minute of the second half. The defender committed a hard foul on Yuri Alberto, leaving his team with ten men for the final minutes.

Neymar later explained his absence through social media. “I felt discomfort last Thursday which prevented me from playing today. We tested this morning and I felt pain again,” wrote the midfielder.

Coach Pedro Caixinha elaborated on Neymar’s condition during the post-match press conference. “Neymar presented discomfort and we decided he shouldn’t contribute to the game. We promised to do everything to prevent Neymar from getting injured,” Caixinha stated.

The manager emphasized that Neymar’s upcoming national team duties did not influence the decision. Dorival Júnior recently called up Neymar for Brazil’s World Cup qualifying matches against Colombia and Argentina.

Corinthians now awaits the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Palmeiras and São Paulo. The Paulista Championship finals will take place on March 16 and 27.

The Corinthians victory relieves pressure on coach Ramón Díaz after recent disappointing performances. Santos must now regroup before their Brazilian Championship opener against Vasco da Gama in São Januário stadium.

Corinthians faces another crucial match Wednesday against Barcelona de Guayaquil in the Libertadores Cup. The team must overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg to advance in the continental tournament.

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