Neymar suffered his first defeat on Wednesday in his third match since returning to Brazil, as Corinthians secured a 2-1 victory over Santos in the Campeonato Paulista clásico at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo.

Yuri Alberto and Memphis Depay Shine in Corinthians' Victory

Corinthians, led by Argentine coach Ramón Díaz, claimed the win thanks to a brace from Yuri Alberto, who scored off assists from Venezuelan José Martínez and Dutch star Memphis Depay.

Santos pulled one back through Guilherme, who netted a brilliant header in the 78th minute.

In a record-attendance match at Corinthians' home stadium, where Neymar was expected to be the star, the real protagonists were Yuri Alberto and Memphis Depay, showcasing the chemistry they built in Europe.

Neymar Tried, but Couldn’t Prevent Santos’ Loss

Yuri Alberto opened the scoring in the 16th minute, silencing an early surge from Santos, who had started with an active Neymar, creating attacking plays.

Unlike his lackluster performance in the goalless draw against Novorizontino, the former Barcelona and PSG player displayed a more dynamic style against Corinthians.

The No. 10 had a clear chance to equalize after capitalizing on a poor clearance from the goalkeeper, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Hugo Souza.

Minutes later, Corinthians doubled their lead thanks to a superb assist from Memphis Depay, who controlled the ball with his chest inside the box before setting up Yuri Alberto, who slotted home past Gabriel Bazão.

With Neymar already off the field, Guilherme scored with a header that left Hugo Souza motionless, reigniting Santos' hopes, though they ultimately failed to equalize.

Corinthians Advances, Santos Drops in the Standings

With this defeat, Santos, who returned to Brazil’s top division this season after spending the previous one in the second tier, dropped to third place in Group B of the Campeonato Paulista.

Meanwhile, Corinthians solidified their position as Group A leaders and secured their spot in the semifinals.

Yuri Alberto abrió el marcador al minuto 16, apagando momentáneamente el dominio inicial de Santos, que arrancó con un Neymar activo, generando jugadas de peligro.

Lejos del pobre desempeño que tuvo en el empate sin goles ante Novorizontino, el exjugador de Barcelona y PSG mostró ante Corinthians un juego más dinámico.

El ‘10’ tuvo una oportunidad clara para empatar al aprovechar un mal saque del portero, pero su disparo fue bien detenido por el guardameta Hugo Souza.

Minutos después, llegó el segundo gol de Corinthians con una brillante asistencia de Memphis Depay, quien controló el balón con el pecho dentro del área y lo sirvió para que Yuri Alberto definiera con un disparo imposible de atajar para Gabriel Bazão.

Ya sin Neymar en el campo, Guilherme descontó con un cabezazo que dejó sin reacción a Hugo Souza, devolviendo la esperanza a Santos, que no logró igualar a su rival.

Corinthians avanza, Santos cae en la tabla

Con esta derrota, Santos, que este año regresa a la primera división del fútbol brasileño tras haber jugado la temporada pasada en segunda, cayó al tercer lugar del Grupo B del Campeonato Paulista.

Por su parte, Corinthians se afianzó como líder del Grupo A y ya aseguró su clasificación a semifinales.