Neymar received a bizarre red card for attempting to score with his hand as "Santos" suffered a 1-0 home defeat to "Botafogo" in the 11th round of Brazilian Serie A on Monday night.
The Brazilian superstar, making his first start since recovering from a serious hamstring injury, was sent off in the 76th minute after receiving a second yellow card for trying to punch the ball into an empty net.
"It was a moment of frustration that cost us dearly. We were pushing for a goal and ended up a man down at a critical point," a disappointed Santos coach reportedly told media after the match.
With Santos reduced to ten men, "Botafogo" capitalized on their numerical advantage when midfielder Arthur scored the match-winner in the 87th minute, securing all three points for the visitors.
Interestingly, this setback came in what was supposed to be Neymar's comeback moment. Prior to this match, he had only managed brief substitute appearances against CRB and Vitoria without making any notable impact on the scoresheet.
According to Statbet analysis, Santos' defeat continues their concerning form which has left them third from bottom in the relegation zone of the Brazilian Serie A standings.
Can Santos turn their season around despite this latest disappointment? The pressure is certainly mounting on both the team and their returning star player.
