Christian Oliva Gives Santos Its First Win at Neo Quimica Arena Since 2014

Some stadiums haunt a team for years, and Neo Quimica Arena had long been one of those ghosts for Santos. That story ended with a rebound and a well timed finish from Christian Oliva, who gave Peixe something it had never managed since the Itaquerao opened in 2014: a win over Corinthians on their own turf.

The Uruguayan did not even start the match. He came on in the 24th minute for Gustavinho, who had to be taken off with an injury, and just nine minutes later he was already celebrating. In the 33rd minute, after a Neymar free kick that the Corinthians goalkeeper could not fully control, Oliva pounced on the rebound and knocked the ball in for the only goal of the derby.

It was a special afternoon for the midfielder: it was his first goal in a Santos shirt, the club he joined in February after arriving from Nacional of Uruguay. There is no better way to break your scoring duck than with a goal that ends a drought of more than a decade at that ground.

A Historic Weight Santos Finally Shed

Corinthians moved into Neo Quimica Arena in 2014, and ever since then the result had always eluded Peixe on that field. Losses, draws, everything except a Santos win. That is why Oliva's goal was not just another goal: it put an end to a wait that had grown heavier every time the Sao Paulo derby rolled around.

Neymar, who did not score but was the author of the cross that led to the decisive rebound, once again proved decisive on set pieces, something that has become routine since his return to the club where he came up as a youth player.

Oliva's forced entry due to Gustavinho's injury ended up being, without anyone planning it, the change that turned the match on its head. Those are the kinds of details that get remembered later when people look back on a result that will stand out in the recent history between these two clubs.