Brazil Cruises in the next round with an easy victory over Serbia

Half time: Brazil leads, 1-0

This happened as well as Brazil could have foreseen: they got the goal they wanted, they defended every Serbian corner, and, in that state, they are ready to spend tonight the only drawback, and it could be great, was Marcelo limping after 10 minutes.

Rory Smith: It is a very good day for Brazil. Germany, its great transatlantic rival, is defeated by the Brazilians as a kind of indirect revenge for the 7-1 humiliation in 2014 – and now the Tite team is sailing in a group of 16 people who suddenly seem a lot less discouraging. The most encouraging of all, though, is Neymar: he took a little time to grow up in the tournament, but it looks like he's there to play tonight. No matter how fit or confident he is, he always produces tricks and feints, but there is a real purpose against him against Serbia. This is a good sign for the next two weeks.

45: Neymar Dazzles and Misses

Neymar with a quick round trip with Filipe Luis gets the ball on a backsheet and numbers, why not? He kicks right from the corner of the room and he almost winds up. But this is not the case, sliding just above the bar. It looks great.

44: strong legs of Serbia

The only thing you notice in the back and forth is that when a Serb embarks on a tackle, he wins the challenge. If a Brazilian midfielder tries the same thing with, say, Matic, he just bounces.

40 ': Free kick for Serbia

Adem Ljajic takes the corner but hits him directly in a group of Brazilian defenders. Easy release.

The Serbia kit could be the most "eliminated at the group stage" that I've ever seen.

–
Rory Smith (@RorySmith)
June 27, 2018

39: Brazilian fans erupt

Brazilian fans have not sat down since the goal. And the commissioners just dragged a shirtless Serb – who was clearly tired of being mocked – in the tunnel to my left.

Brazil must be careful. They just dropped another corner.

37: What does this goal mean?

Still a long way to go, but this goal and the means of Switzerland will allow these two teams to pbad.

35: GOAL! Brazil leads

And it's there! Paulinho scores and Brazil has his lead.

Coutinho is the supplier there, dropping a beautiful ball on the way to the Paulinho charge. He beats Stojkovic and he pbades him. Brazil, 1-0.

What El Mago Coutinho's Ball! Good finish of Paulinho pic.twitter.com/K3t3SfsKrL
Via: @TelemundoSports

–
The18 (@ the18com)
June 27, 2018

34: Score Switzerland

Switzerland is 1-0 ahead in Nizhny Novgorod. So, everything is there for taking here. Someone just needs to score.

32: Neymar sells it

Brazil bursts on the left, first Jesus and then feeds Neymar. Neymar stings in advance and gets crushed to stop the attack. But his roll is magnificent: four or five complete laps, covering nearly 12 yards. Breathtaking really.

And then Brazil is wasting the free kick.

There are people playing a game where they have to drink whenever Neymar is on the ground. They all died after this performance of 5 reels. #BRA #SRB pic.twitter.com/sHwF9ZajDR

–
The18 (@ the18com)
June 27, 2018

29 & # 39 ;: Gabriel Jesus hides behind

Gabriel Jesus hands the YARDS away, slips a defender into the penalty area, but his shot is shot by another man. I do not want to tell Milenkovic, the Serbian center back, what to do or anything, but he may want to stop keeping it out of the way. Because he can not catch Gabriel Jesus once he's in it.

25th: Neymar shoots … and misses

Gabriel Jesus and Neymar took turns taking over the Serbs and together they walked the ball in the six-yard area. Neymar finally pulls the trigger, but his shot is wide to the right and never really lucky.

The broadcast shows that Stojkovic really has a glove on it, but it was still very far.

24: Gabriel Jesus is looking for an opening

Gabriel Jesus is like a dog on a leash at the front: he continues to move forward, to move forward and to hesitate, to seek behind him. But his teammates just swing the ball, and for now he's just a tease up there – a goal that is waiting to happen.

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21: Danger for Brazil

The dismissals of Mitrovic, the Serbian striker, in the center, lead to a corner. As we have said, Brazil is not entirely comfortable with that. Alison gets up again to hit the ball, but he can not erase it. It takes a little more effort from his teammates.

19: Danger on all sides

Neymar stands on the left sideline and Willian on the right while Brazil tries to decide which side to attack. The width is their friend. And the enemy of Serbia.

17: Brazil slows it down

Serbs whistle and laugh when Brazil pbades the ball. They like the little momentum that they have right now, and do not like to see it removed.

14th: Kolarov fires

Kolarov with a HARD shot from the top of the circle. The shot is deflected, but Alisson ran to try and avoid it being a corner says a lot about their fear of Serbia on plays at stake.

11th: Alisson wins it

Alisson rises above a crowd to repel the first truly dangerous Serbian cross.

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11 ': Free kick for Serbia

Fagner is called to hold by referee Alireza Faghani.

10th: Filipe Luis for Marcelo

Filipe Luis is standing near the fourth official, ready to come. And finally the whistle comes. Not clear what was Marcelo's problem, but he was limping badly.

9: Marcelo takes off

A slight delay on the sidelines while Marcelo seems injured. He's going away! This hurts the attack of Brazil.

7: Marcelo and Silva descend

Two Brazilians broke down – Marcelo and Thiago Silva – after crossing a Serbian cross.

4: Brazil Sprint

This time it is Jesus who is behind, but his shot hits Stojkovic, the goalkeeper. The rebound is sent as a second low shot – which Neymar inexplicably transforms into width. It does not matter. Jesus was offside.

2 & # 39 ;: Neymar creates

Neymar goes back in the middle like the sports car that he is, panicking a bit at the Serbs. But his layoff at Coutinho creates a shot that strikes Gabriel Jesus, who is offside.

1: Serbia starts with energy

Serbia is pressing very high from the start. It's fun and daring. But a bit risky. Chalk for the exuberance of the coup de send.

Start!

Serbia expands widely before the coup de send. Brazil in a tight tight. And it's gone!

The winner plays here Mexico

The winner of Group E today – Brazil, Serbia or Switzerland – will travel to Samara to face the vice-champion of Mexico in Group F. The second-place team will face Sweden in St. Petersburg.

Brazil's defense

Brazil is known for its attack, but that is the defense that just happened. The last time Brazil lost two goals in a match there are 28 matches in March 2016. The last time Brazil conceded a goal in the first half was 14 games.

In case you missed it

After a hectic day in the morning and afternoon, defending champion Germany was eliminated after losing to South Korea (2-0). Because Germany did not score, this allowed Mexico to advance despite its demolition by Sweden, 3-0. Sweden wins group F.

Expect Brazil to attack

Brazil starts an offensive lineup, because it wants a win to bring it into the group. But also because it is Brazil, and the tens of thousands of Brazilians here would mutiny.

The starting lineup of Brazil

Goalkeeper: 1 Alisson

Defenders: 22 Fágner, 2 Silva, 3 Miranda, 12 Marcelo

Midfielders: 15 Paulinho, 5 Casemiro, 11 Coutinho

Forwards: 19 Willian, 9 Gabriel Jesus, 10 Neymar

OPEN Interactive Feature

Brazil's new national hobby: beat Neymar

After a few mediocre performances, everyone likes to hit Neymar, the Brazilian superstar. Even the former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is currently serving 12 years for corruption, has entered the law:

"The first week of the World Cup proves that Germany is not unbeatable and, among the best players, only Cristiano Ronaldo has proved his worth," wrote da Silva in a text to a string of television affiliated with the Workers Party.

And Juca Kfouri, a famous Brazilian football commentator, has accused Neymar of "Peter Pan syndrome" no matter what that means.

Serbia's departure schedule

Goalkeeper: 1 Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan Belgrade)

Defenders: 11 Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), 2 Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal), 13 Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), 15 Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina)

Midfielders: 21 Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), 20 Sergej Milinkovic Savic (Lazio), 22 Adem Ljajic (Turin), 10 Dusan Tadic (Southampton), 17 Filip Kostic (Hamburg)

Forward: 9 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United)

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