The Brazilian star played a decisive role as Santos recovered from an early setback to beat the Ecuadorian side 2-1 in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at Vila Belmiro on Friday. Neymar supplied both assists as the hosts overturned a 1-0 deficit, but the 34-year-old was left frustrated by the reaction from some supporters while his team were struggling.
Neymar hit back at sections of the Santos support after being criticised during their Copa Sudamericana victory over Macara, telling unhappy fans that if they arrive at the stadium with a negative mindset, they are “better” off staying at home.
He has now registered 13 goals and eight assists across his last 24 appearances for Santos. The two assists continued Neymar’s productive spell for his boyhood club. More importantly, Santos will take a slender advantage into the return fixture in Ambato next week. A draw in Ecuador would be enough to send them through to the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals. For Neymar, though, the comeback also carried a message for the Vila Belmiro crowd: support, in his view, matters most when the team is behind.
Santos eventually provided Neymar with the response he had demanded. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward created the equaliser before half-time, setting up Gabriel Barbosa as the hosts restored parity. Neymar then delivered the decisive contribution in the 75th minute, sending in a corner that Willian Arao headed home to complete the turnaround.
