Neymar played a vital role in Santos’ fight against relegation by scoring three second-half goals in their 3–0 win over Juventude in the Brasileirão.
The forward achieved the feat despite struggling with a knee injury.
The first half ended without a goal, as both teams played cautiously and created few clear chances.
After the break, Santos came out stronger, and Neymar opened the scoring with a simple finish from inside the box.
Minutes later, he scored again from close range to double the lead. Neymar then completed his hat-trick with a calm shot from outside the penalty area, putting the result beyond reach.
Although there are still concerns about the full extent of Neymar’s knee problem, his impact in this game was crucial. The win earned Santos three valuable points in a very tight relegation battle, where several teams are separated by just a few points.
Juventude struggled to recover after conceding the first goal and failed to threaten Santos in the second half.
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