Neymar turned provider at Estádio Urbano Caldeira, guiding Santos to a 2-1 win over Macará in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16. Wearing the No. 10, he played the full 90 minutes and set up both Santos goals in front of the home crowd. Beyond the assists, he was central to almost everything in the final third. His Sofascore Rating came in at 7.9, reflecting a night built on creation rather than pure finishing.

Across three shots, he put two on target and one off, but it was his passing that drove Santos forward. He produced 6 key passes and created 3 big chances, repeatedly finding teammates between the lines and out wide. With 7 crosses attempted and 3 accurate, his delivery kept Macará on alert. This was a classic playmaker performance in a knockout tie, built on volume, variety and timing.

Playmaking at the heart of a 2-1 win

Neymar completed 38 of 56 passes, and the distribution tells the story of control with intent. He went 8 of 8 in his own half to keep possession steady, then shifted gears with 30 accurate passes in the opposition half from 48 attempts. The service out wide and into the box produced steady pressure and frequent entries. He added 4 long balls with 1 finding its target, supplementing the build-up with quick switches.

On the ball, he logged 87 touches and carried it 23 times for a total of roughly 204 meters. One of those was a progressive carry of about 12.3 meters, with his best single carry adding 7.32 meters of territory. He drew 5 fouls, which helped Santos reset in advanced areas and keep Macará pinned back. Add 5 ball recoveries and the picture is of a forward who did a bit of everything.

Chance creation by the numbers

The underlying data backs up the eye test. Neymar’s expected assists sat at 0.86, and his pass impact was the headline metric on the night. With a pass value normalized of 0.93, most of his influence came through supply rather than shots. His expected goals was just 0.09 and expected goals on target 0.22, a reminder that his job here was to feed finishers.

Six key passes and three accurate crosses from seven attempts tell you where the danger came from. He also won 2 of 3 individual contests and 7 total duels, helping Santos sustain attacks after second balls. Thirty accurate passes in the opposition half maintained tempo and field position. The two assists were the payoff, but the platform was built over 90 busy minutes.

Volume brings risk, but impact stayed high

High usage brings turnovers, and Neymar’s night had those too. He lost possession 35 times, was dispossessed 4 times and had 5 unsuccessful touches. He also lost 6 duels and one aerial. Yet he balanced that with 5 ball recoveries, 5 fouls won and constant movement that drew Macará’s back line into uncomfortable spots.

Defensively, his value registered at -0.1, which is normal for a front-line creator asked to push the game. What mattered was how often he put teammates in position to score. Two of his three shots worked the goalkeeper, keeping the pressure on even when he was not passing. On Sofascore, that all added up to a 7.9 Sofascore Rating, a strong return in a Sudamericana knockout match. For a tie decided by fine margins, his final ball was the difference.

Season picture at Santos

Zooming out, his season numbers show a consistent supplier with end product. Across 5 appearances and 405 minutes, Neymar has 2 goals and 2 assists with a 7.58 average rating on Sofascore. He has already produced 22 key passes and 6 big chances created, plus 103 accurate passes in the final third. The passing base is solid too, with 208 accurate of 269 total.

His shot map is balanced, with 12 attempts, 5 on target and 2 goals, both from inside the box and with his right foot. Dribbling success sits at 11 completed at 42.3%, while total duels won are 32 at 49.2%. He has been fouled 20 times, covered 30.41 kilometers and hit a top speed of 31.6 km/h. Add one Team of the Week appearance, and the trend is clear. This is a creative hub shaping Santos’ attacking rhythm in both league and continental action.

Follow all live ratings, heatmaps and match-by-match data on Sofascore.