Santos 2–1 Cruzeiro | Série A | 13 September 2026

Result Summary

Santos claimed a hard-fought three points at home, defeating Cruzeiro 2–1 in a Série A encounter that was largely dominated by the hosts before a late scare. Benjamín Rollheiser opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a composed left-foot finish, and Cruzeiro inadvertently doubled the deficit just four minutes later when Fabrício Bruno Soares de Faria turned the ball into his own net. Despite controlling much of the match, Santos were made to sweat when Matheus Fellipe Costa Pereira pulled one back deep into stoppage time with a left-foot strike assisted by substitute Luciano Rodríguez, but it proved too little, too late for the visitors.

Match Analysis

The statistics paint a remarkably one-sided picture of the 90 minutes. Santos registered an extraordinary 31 total shots to Cruzeiro's 9, with 9 on target compared to the visitors' 4. The hosts also dominated in the corner count — 13 to 3 — and generated 70 dangerous attacks against Cruzeiro's 37, while completing a commanding 27 key passes to Cruzeiro's 7. Despite this relentless pressure, the scoreline remained narrower than Santos' overall supremacy deserved.

Rollheiser's opener was a well-taken effort that rewarded Santos' early intensity, and the own goal from Fabrício Bruno so quickly after gave the home side a commanding cushion. With a two-goal buffer established before the half-hour mark had fully passed, Santos appeared set for a comfortable afternoon. Possession was relatively balanced at 53% to 47%, but Santos' directness and creativity — reflected in those 27 key passes — told a far more emphatic story going forward.

Cruzeiro's coaching staff responded with an ambitious wave of substitutions from the 74th minute onwards, introducing Wesley Gassova Ribeiro Teixeira, Lucas Silva Borges, João Gabriel e Costa Cesco, José Lucas Gomes da Silva, and ultimately Luciano Rodríguez, whose impact was immediate — setting up Pereira's 90th-minute consolation. Santos also rotated heavily, removing Rollheiser and Everton — both of whom had been booked — to manage the closing stages.

The disciplinary picture added some edge to proceedings. Kaio Jorge was cautioned just before half-time, while Santos' Everton picked up a yellow in the 65th minute before being taken off. João Marcelo Messias Ferreira was booked for an argument in the 79th minute, and a frustrated Fabrício Bruno — already the unfortunate author of his own goal — received a late yellow in the 90th minute for dissent, capping a miserable evening for the Cruzeiro defender.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast called for a 1–1 draw, assigning a 41% probability to a Santos win, 27% to a draw, and 32% to a Cruzeiro victory — with an overall confidence rating of 53/100. That low confidence level proved apt, as the match did not follow the balanced script anticipated. Santos' dominance in shots, attacks, and key passes far exceeded what a draw forecast implied, and the goals arrived quickly enough to take control away from Cruzeiro before they could establish themselves. The prediction was incorrect, though the relatively low confidence acknowledged the competitive uncertainty heading in.

Key Takeaways

• Santos were overwhelmingly dominant by volume — 31 shots, 70 dangerous attacks, and 27 key passes underscore how thoroughly they controlled proceedings.
• Rollheiser's early goal and Fabrício Bruno's own goal settled the contest quickly and rewarded Santos' aggressive opening.
• Cruzeiro's late rally, while admirable, came too late and amounted only to a consolation, despite their improved second-half contribution through substitutes.
• Coach Alexi Stival's Santos side will take significant confidence from this result, while Artur Jorge will need to address his team's inability to weather early pressure.