Neymar’s masterclass in Santos’ 3–0 win away to Juventude was far more than a nostalgic reminder of his early days in Vila Belmiro; it was a season‑defining performance that dragged a giant club away from the relegation cliff and reasserted his status as a difference‑maker on the Brazilian stage. Playing through knee pain, the 33‑year‑old produced a ruthless 17‑minute hat‑trick that transformed a tense, anxious relegation fight into a night of hope and defiance for Santos. survival on the line This was not a dead‑rubber for mid‑table comfort; it was the 37th round of the Brasileirão, with Santos hovering dangerously close to the drop. They kicked off needing points to climb out of the relegation zone, while Juventude were already condemned to Serie B but still capable of turning the night into a nightmare for a fragile visitor. The pressure on Santos was immense. Results elsewhere involving direct rivals like Vitória and Internacional added further tension, with every goal in other s...
After Osasuna defeated Barcelona 4-2 on Saturday despite having just 25% of the ball, Barcelona's undefeated record in La Liga is ended.
Given that Barcelona had won all eight of their previous La Liga visits to El Sadar, it ought to have been an easy victory. Osasuna, however, had a surprise in store.
It eventually came back to haunt manager Hansi Flick when he started a few young players, such as Pau Víctor, Pablo Torre, Gerard Martín, Pau Cubarsí, and Sergi Domínguez.
Under Flick, Barcelona has only conceded 5 goals in La Liga, while they have scored 4!
After scoring on the counter both times, the hosts took advantage of a 17- and 19-year-old center-back combination to take a commanding 2-0 lead in just 28 minutes. After forty minutes, Barcelona, on the other hand, had no shots.
After arriving late in the box, Bryan Zaragoza ran ahead and past goalkeeper Iñaki Peña Sotorres from a tight angle, surpassing Ante Budimir as the club's all-time La Liga scorer.
Minutes into the second half, Barcelona must have had a blistering conversation during halftime, suggesting that the comeback was imminent. Víctor's unexpected strike wobbled badly and sent Sergio Herrera to sleep, winning 2-1.
But even with Flick bringing on big guns Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Barcelona was unable to muster any meaningful offensive play and lost three times in a row when they broke. On his record-breaking night, Budimir secured a brace while Domínguez gave up a penalty.
Furthermore, Osasuna's historic victory was sealed when substitute Abel Bretones scored from long range after depriving the Spain prodigy of the ball, even if Yamal ultimately reached the upper right corner on his own.
As a result of their first home victory over Barcelona in twelve years, Osasuna now sits sixth in the table. If Real Madrid defeats Atletico Madrid on Sunday, they will trail Barcelona by one point.
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