Corinthians had former Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos and right back Moacir sent off in the final 20 minutes with the score already 2-1 as Santos remained four points clear at the top of the Paulista championship standings.
The 18-year-old Neymar, expected as the player to take Robinho's mantle, missed a sixth-minute penalty yet still inspired Santos to their ninth consecutive win in all competitions, scoring one goal and laying on the other.
"I didn't remain downhearted because I missed the penalty. It's something normal in football," Neymar told reporters after the match at Santos' Vila Belmiro ground.
"I carried on playing normally, as if nothing had happened and everything came out right for us."
Neymar opened the scoring with a shot into the top corner of keeper Felipe's goal in the 24th minute from a pass by Robinho's understudy Marquinhos.
However, Neymar hit back saying: "Dribbling is a resource. When your adversary is coming at you, you have to use that resource."
In Minas Gerais state, striker Obina ended a remarkable week with a hat-trick in Atletico Mineiro's 5-2 win over Uberlandia, four days after scoring five in the 7-0 rout of Juventus do Acre in a Copa Brasil match on the Bolivian border.
