Gabigol scored twice to lead Santos to a 2–1 comeback victory over São Paulo at the Morumbis on October 2, 2026, extending their winning streak in the Campeonato Brasileiro to five matches. Luciano opened the scoring for the hosts from a penalty kick in the first half before Gabigol leveled before halftime and struck again early in the second half with an assist from Philippe Coutinho, who made his club debut.
Morumbis Clash Leaves São Paulo 11th and Bumping into Boos
The result left São Paulo stranded in 11th place in the Campeonato Brasileiro standings with 36 points, failing to capitalize on home-field advantage and exiting the pitch under jeers from supporters, according to gazetaesportiva.com. estadao.com.br noted that coach Dorival Júnior deployed Pablo Maia as a makeshift third center-back alongside Arboleda and Rafael Tolói due to the absence of Domingos Duarte. This tactical setup allowed full-backs Pedro Lima and Iago to push forward aggressively during an intense opening phase.
The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute after a video assistant referee review. Referee Matheus Delgado Candançan awarded a penalty when Lucas Veríssimo pulled down Ryan Francisco inside the area. Luciano stepped up to convert the spot-kick in the 33rd minute, giving the home side a 1–0 lead.
The penalty occurred after Veríssimo attempted a long clearance in the 30th minute that went high and returned to him, leading to the foul on Ryan Francisco.
Gabigol and Coutinho Engineer the Santos Comeback
Santos responded immediately. Just two minutes after conceding, Everton Cebolinha delivered a cross from the left that bypassed the São Paulo defense, allowing Gabigol to head past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel for the equalizer, uol.com.br reported. uol.com.br added that shortly after, Diógenes punched away a cross and accidentally struck Iago in the face, sparking a brief on-field scuffle that resulted in a yellow card for Luciano without VAR intervention.
The visitors completed the turnaround seven minutes into the second half. Following an interception by Oliva, substitute Philippe Coutinho executed a sharp first-touch spin to evade Arboleda and slipped a pass to Cebolinha. The winger drove forward and fed Gabigol, who cut past Rafael Tolói before firing into the net to make it 2–1, estadao.com.br detailed. The victory lifted Santos to 41 points, moving them into seventh place.
To keep this seventh-place position, Santos needs Atlético-MG to lose to Red Bull Bragantino on Saturday.
Late Heroics Protect the Three Points for Cuca’s Side
As São Paulo pressed for an equalizer late in the match, Diógenes preserved the win with crucial stops. At the 43-minute mark of the second half, Artur beat his marker and curled a shot toward the top corner, but Diógenes stretched to make a diving save. In stoppage time, the Santos goalkeeper denied Danielzinho from close range and parried a strike from Rony.
Compounding São Paulo’s frustrations, Luciano suffered a muscular injury during the final phase of the match after coach Dorival Júnior had already used all available substitutions, forcing the forward to play through pain for the remaining 15 minutes, estadao.com.br reported. Santos will return to action on October 8, 2026, to host Flamengo at the Vila Belmiro, while São Paulo visits Cruzeiro at the Mineirão on October 7, 2026.
Match Statistics and Details
The match was attended by 43,398 fans and generated R$ 2,034,540.00 in revenue. Yellow cards were issued to Luciano for São Paulo, and to Veríssimo, Oliva, and Everton Cebolinha for Santos.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Morumbis Match
What was the final score and date of the São Paulo and Santos match?
Santos defeated São Paulo 2–1 on October 2, 2026, in a rescheduled fixture from the 21st round of the Campeonato Brasileiro held at the Morumbis stadium.
Who scored the goals in the match?
Luciano opened the scoring for São Paulo via a 33rd-minute penalty. Gabigol scored twice for Santos, leveling the match in the 35th minute and securing the victory in the 52nd minute.
Where do São Paulo and Santos stand in the Campeonato Brasileiro table after this game?
Santos climbed to 41 points to sit in seventh place with their fifth win, while São Paulo remained in 11th place with 36 points.
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