Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Santos secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Bahia on Matchday 5 of the Brasileirão with a confident performance, despite the “Bauermann controversy”. The team showed great resilience and concentration, earning their second win of the tournament. Striker Deivid had an outstanding night. The youngster came on in place of Marcos Leonard in the starting line-up. The 17-year-old scored his first goal for the Santos professional team, while Mendoza also scored and provided an assist. Ângelo continued his impressive run of goals, scoring for the second game in a row in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
The game started at a fast pace, with Santos opening the scoring in the fourth minute through Deivid Washington. The young striker took his chance after receiving a pass from Steven Mendoza. Santos continued to dominate the game, creating several chances. Mendoza had a fantastic chance to double the lead, but was denied by the Bahia goalkeeper.
Steven Mendoza (14′) was in the mood and doubled Santos’ lead within 10 minutes of the first goal. But the winger was unable to make any further contribution as he left the field injured in the 33rd minute. Lucas Braga came on in place of the 30-year-old.
Bahia tried to react and had a few chances, but Santos’ defense held firm. Captain João Paulo was instrumental in keeping the team scoreless, making some excellent saves. Santos continued to press in the second half and increased their lead through Ângelo (51′). Deivid had a few more chances to score, but was denied by the post and the goalkeeper. In the 58th minute, Ângelo scored the second goal, but the VAR disallowed it.
Santos deservedly took the three points, showing their attacking ability and defensive solidity. The team showed great character and determination, putting the controversy surrounding Bauermann behind them and concentrating on the task in hand. Santos will be hoping to build on that performance and continue their strong start to the tournament.