BELÉM: Neymar made a decisive impact after coming off the bench to help Santos secure a 1-0 victory over Remo on Tuesday, sending the Brazilian club into the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. The two sides had played out a goalless draw in the first leg, making the return fixture at Mangueirão a winner-takes-all encounter.

Santos sealed qualification with a second-half goal from Rony, who converted after an excellent attacking move created by Neymar. The victory ended Remo’s cup run and ensured Santos advanced to the last eight of the competition.

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Neymar Changes the Match After Half-Time

More than 100 words into the contest, Neymar transformed the game after replacing a teammate at the start of the second half. The forward had started on the bench after attending a charity event for his institute in São Paulo the previous evening before travelling to Belém on match day.

His influence quickly became evident as Santos increased the pressure on Remo. In the 28th minute of the second half, Neymar produced a clever attacking move before setting up Rony, who finished confidently to score the only goal of the match.

Santos Returns to the Last Eight

The first leg had ended 0-0, leaving the tie evenly balanced heading into the return fixture. Santos maintained control after taking the lead and successfully defended its advantage to secure qualification for the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals.

The result also highlighted Neymar’s importance to Santos despite his limited minutes, with the experienced forward delivering the decisive assist that separated the two teams on a tense night in Belém.