With goals coming from Lucas Braga and Marcos Leonardo, Peixe managed to maintain their unbeaten record in the tournament.
Santos, who already qualified for the round of 16 in the Libertadores, started the game with great intensity early in the first half.
However, Defensa y Justicia were up to it and regained control of the game and became the superior side for a few minutes.
With the constant pressure Defensa y Justicia gave the Peixe, the Argentine team gave a lot of space to the home side for counterattacks, which the hosts failed to take advantage of and wasted good opportunities to score.
In the second half, the game became more exciting than the first. Defensa y Justicia kept on pressurizing the saints to try and open the scoring. Five minutes into the second period, they got their breakthrough with the help of Brain Romero, who received a cross from Pizzini and scored the first goal of the game.
Coach Cuca had to make changes to his side and replaced Arthur Gomes with Lucas Braga and Felipe Jonatan with Wagner Leonardo, who later changed the dynamics of the match.
The Argentine team kept on attacking leaving spaces at the back and inviting the counterattacks from the Peixe, allowing Lucas Braga to score and level up the game. After being substituted in the second half, the striker scored his first goal in Peixe shirt. He then provided the assist for Marcos Leonardo to seal the victory. The game ended 2-1.
Santos returns to the field next Sunday to face Fluminense at Maracanã for the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship.
