Santos can finally breathe a sigh of relief, climbing to 13th place in the table with 47 points thanks to a brace from Thaciano and a goal from Joao Schmidt, after flirting with relegation for much of the campaign.
With the nightmare of relegation looming just a year after their promotion back to the top tier, Neymar's team displayed an intense performance at the Vila Belmiro stadium, packed to the rafters with Santos fans.
Cruzeiro, who finished the league in third place with nothing left to play for, were unable to contain the relentless energy of their opponents, who dominated possession from the first whistle. The Belo Horizonte side showed signs of a comeback in the second half with a goal that was ultimately disallowed for offside.
Neymar is currently nursing a meniscus injury, but was determined not to miss this crucial match.