Santos qualified for the Copa do Brasil round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over Cianorte on Tuesday. After Peixe won by two goals in Paraná last week, they essentially sealed their place in the next round of the competition.
Marcos Guilherme scored the game’s sole goal, his first since joining the club, with a superb effort. After a tough spell that includes an early exit from the Libertadores, Santos have now won three games in a row.
One of the few highlights of the first half was Marcos Guilherme’s fantastic goal which he scored in the 25th minute.
Peixe were in command of the game from the start, with a 2-nil lead and more possession, but they couldn’t play with the same vigour as they did in Paraná.
Cianorte, on the other hand, were not just better in defence than they had been in the first leg, but they were also unable to trouble Santos’ goalkeeper John. In actual fact, the only exciting moment of the dreary first half was the goal scored by the hosts.
With the daunting prospect of needing at least four goals to force a penalty shootout, the visitors made a hasty substitute, bringing in Léo Porto just after halftime.
The striker was quick to react and set up Buba, who had a chance to score except for John’s outstanding goalkeeping.
Cianorte soon improved their play but still did nothing to trouble Santos a great deal.
Towards the end, Peixe were able to control the lead well and saw the game out despite several lost opportunities to extend their lead.
It was a 3-0 win for Santos on aggregate in the end.
Santos’ next Copa do Brasil opponent will be determined by a draw, with no date established yet. The tournament’s third phase concludes next Thursday.
