BRA 2-0 SRB, HIGHLIGHTS FIFA World Cup: Richarlison scores twice as Brazil wins opener
Catch the live score, updates and commentary from the Brazil vs Serbia FIFA World Cup Group G game at the Lusail Stadium.
Updated : Nov 25, 2022 03:04 IST
Richarlison scored twice to help Brazil win its opening game against Serbia on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of the Brazil vs Ghana FIFA World Cup game at the Lusail Stadium.
Possession : Brazil - 59% | Serbia - 41%
Total Shots : Brazil - 22 | Serbia - 5
Shots on Target : Brazil - 8 | Serbia - 0
That’s it at Lusail Stadium. Brazil opens its World Cup campaign with a win. Richarlison got on the scoresheet twice to hand the three points to Brazil. It goes past Switzerland on the top of Group G. The game got off to a simmered start as Brazil failed to trouble the scorers. But come the second half, the Samba boys found the groove. A confident performance by Tite’s side before its next game against the Swiss. Serbia will next take on Cameroon.
Brazil easing out the closing minutes. It controls the possession and is knocking the ball around. Game over for Serbia.
The fourth official indicates a total of seven minutes. Can Serbia find something in the dying minutes?
IN - Martinelli | OUT - Raphinha
IN - Maksimovic | OUT - Mitrovic
Casemiro hits the post! Another chance for Brazil as Raphinha plays the ball onto the path of Casemiro. The midfielder gently moves in and places the ball for the top right corner. The post saves Serbia.
IN - Jesus | OUT - Richarlison
IN - Fred, Rodrygo, Antony | OUT - Paqueta, Vinicius, Neymar
72’ - Richarlison
RICHARLISON TAKE A BOW! That’s a screamer! A bicycle kick to double the lead!
Brazil’s Richarlison scores the second goal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Pin Ball in the Brazil penalty area. Serbia comes inches from scoring through a corner yet the ball somehow stays out of the net.
Pavlovic’s header goes over! Serbia wins another corner but the attempt from the defender has too much power.
IN - Lukic, Mladenovic | OUT - Lazovic, Vlahovic
63’ - Richarlison
RICHARLISON HAS BROKEN THE DEADLOCK! Brazil leads 1-0!
Sandro strikes the post! That was a thunderous hit. He moves inwards from the right side and takes the shot. Vanja is beaten but the ball only deflects off the post.
First corner for Serbia! Tadic hangs a ball from the left side. The aim is for Mitrovic but Sandro is in the way to clear. Nothing comes out of the set piece.
IN - Ilic, Radonjic | OUT - Gudelj, Zivkovic
Neymar misses! Vinicius plays the ball in from the left and Neymar is waiting in the middle. He falls over as he attempts the shot with his left foot. The attempt goes wide.
This time Vinicius gets past the defence. He makes a run from the left flank and does not stop. A cross follows but the Serb defence is able to clear. Brazil goal around the corner?
Pavlovic slides in! What a brilliantly timed tackle. He prevents Raphinha from shooting.
The wall does its job from the free kick! Corner for Brazil. Richarlison gets a chance to shot but the strike is blocked
Neymar brought on the edge of the penalty area. He was charging towards the goal before Gudelj brings him down. A yellow card shown.
Early chance for Brazil! Serbia is again bailed out by Vanja. He saves Raphinha’s shot after a poor giving away of possession.
The Brazilian forward is the most fouled player so far. He has been fouled 5 times. Still 45 minutes to go in the game.
Brazil’s Neymar reacts after a challenge from Serbia’a Sasa Lukic. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Brazil - 59% | Serbia - 41%
The referee blows the whistle with just one minute of stoppage time added. Serbia have hung on. Brazil has looked fluid yet it goes to the dressing room without troubling the scorers. Serbia’s custodian Vanja has been stellar in goal. On the other end of the pitch, the attack has failed to trouble Alisson. Back in 15 for the second half.
Vinicius misses! Milenkovic misses a simple clearance off Casemiro’s long ball. Vinicius pounces on the chance and takes a shot. The attempt is off target.
Brazil: 4 | Serbia: 1
Saved! Raphinha’s left footed shot is saved by Vanja. It was along the ground and a comfortable save.
Brazil is unbeaten in its last 19 World Cup opening matches.
Cleared by Veljkovic! Neymar is on the receiving end of a long ball. He squares with his head, hoping to find Richarlison in the centre! Veljkovic barges in and clears. Brazil wins a corner.
Brilliant from Vanja! Vinicius receives a pin point pass from Casemiro. The Serbia keeper comes out of his line and clears the danger with a diving tackle. Excellent judgement!
Serbia’a Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in action with Brazil’s Vinicius Junior. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Serbia breaks on a counter! Tadic spots Mitrovic in the penalty area and crosses. Alisson steps out to intercept the ball.
Marquinhos wins the ball high up the pitch. Raphinha is involved in a tussle with Pavlovic for the ball. Serbia ends up winning the goal kick. Good defending!
It is Casemiro’s turn to take a long range attempt. The ball is saved cleanly by Vanja. A shot on target nonetheless!
Neymar’s long range shot goes straight into a Serbia body.
Serbia unable to string any meaningful passes. Brazil has been in complete control in the first 20 minutes.
Vanja has to rush into position to clear the ball that is creeping into the goal - directly from the corner kick. Brazil’s second corner is comfortably collected by the Serb custodian.
Vinicius steps his foot on the gas! He dribbles into the Serbian penalty area and goes all the way to the touchline. A corner for Brazil!
Foul! Paqueta catches Mitrovic from behind. Just a warning from the referee.
Chance! Casemiro plays a piercing pass into the Serbia penalty area. Neymar receives the ball but he tries to dribble past one body too many.
A change of shirt for Neymar. The forward has already had his jersey torn from a tug.
Neymar fouled! The forward is brought to the ground by Pavlovic, and he goes into the referee’s book.
Serbia’a Strahinja Pavlovic is shown a yellow card by referee Alireza Faghani. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Brazil controlling the early play here. They’ve already made an entry into the Serbia penalty area. A good start for Tite’s side.
The game is underway, ladies and gentlemen! Brazil starts the proceedings from the centre circle.
00:29 - Alireza Faghani is the referee for tonight’s game. In VAR, Qatar’s Abdulla Al Marri will be assisting.
00:26 - The anthems reverberate across the Lusail Stadium. A moment to savour for every player.
00:23: Moments away. Brazil sets out to make its 22nd appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
00:12 - Neymar’s stats in FIFA World Cups:
Played: 10 | Goals: 6 | Assists: 3
00:07 - Brazil is the most successful team in the World Cup. It has won 73 games.
00:04 - Serbia’s recent form:
Won 5-1 vs Bahrain
Won 2-0 vs Norway
Won 4-1 vs Sweden
Drew 2-2 vs Slovenia
Won 1-0 vs Sweden
23:58 - A look inside the Brazil dressing room for the game:
23:52 - Brazil has been in great form in the lead up to the Qatar World Cup. Here are its last 5 results:
Won 5-1 vs Tunisia
Won 3-0 vs Ghana
Won 1-0 vs Japan
Won 5-1 vs South Korea
Won 4-0 vs Bolivia
23:43 - Serbia fans are all geared up for the match
23:37 - Here is the Head to Head Record between Brazil and Serbia:
Played : 20 | Brazil: 11 | Serbia: 2 | Draw: 7
23:30 - The two teams had faced each other in 2018 World Cup as well. Paulinho and Thiago Silva scored for the South Americans to seal the contest 2-0.
23:19 - Here is Serbia’s playing XI:
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic - Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Nikola Milenkovic - Andrija Zivkovic, Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic - Dusan Tadic (c), Aleksandar Mitrovic.
23:18 - Brazil has named its starting XI
Alisson - Danilo, Thiago Silva (c), Marquinhos, Alex Sandro - Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta - Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Raphinha - Richarlison.
PREVIEW
Brazil - the land of Samba, Carnival, the meandering Amazon and its equally sensitive rainforest – has a way of life like no other place on earth. There’s a mix of mystic, the fervent devotion for Christ the Redeemer – ever visible from every corner of Rio De Janeiro and its Copacabana Beach – and also the hip-swaying beats of the dancing belles and chugs of refreshing Caipirinha with a dash of cachaça, sugar, and lime.
It’s an intoxicating life, forever driven by passion, beauty and a bit of madness. Brazil’s football, too, reflects that life, drawing in followers from every corner by their twirling feet, swerving hips and a narcotic dependency with the ball -- the ‘Meu Amor’.
And finally on Thursday – far from their home – the practitioners of this mesmerising art will look to hold sway on the attention of the watching world. In the gigantic Lusail Stadium, already a fallen shrine for neighbour and forever rival Argentina, Brazil will take on a rough and tough Serbia.
Coach Tite, wisened up since the quarterfinal loss from four years ago, has the most standout squad of this World Cup – men of extraordinary talent fighting for every spot. This is a team that has no place for Roberto Firmino or Arsenal defender Gabriel and will have Pep Guardiola’s ‘keeper Ederson warming its bench. The only regular in every World Cup since 1930, the experienced team of Neymar, Fabinho, Casemiro and Thiago Silva had collected a record 45 points in a 17-match undefeated qualifying campaign and won’t be deterred by the firepower that Serbia packs.
Only fools would take Brazil lightly, and Dragan Stojkovic is no fool. He will revert to a three-man defence after experimenting with four in a comfortable preparatory win over Bahrain. His wing backs Andrija Zivkovic and Filip Kostic will have to curb their attacking natures to deal with the twin menace of Gabriel Jesus and Vinicius Junior, while Neymar will float like a butterfly – and all three can sting like bees.
Serbia, though, won’t worry about conceding large chunks of possession. The team designed for quick breaks, however, might miss target-man and the nation’s top scorer Aleksander Mitrovic. The Fulham striker is still not fully fit after a groin injury.
With no such worries, Brazil, cautious of the quicksand that has swallowed quite a few pedigreed teams already, is hopeful that its passion and panache would set it up to end its 20-year wait for the title.
-Ayon Sengupta
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
Where will the Brazil vs Serbia World Cup opening match kick-off?
The Brazil vs Serbia match will kick-off at the Lusail Stadium.
When will the Brazil vs Serbia World Cup opening match kick-off?
The Brazil vs Serbia match will kick-off at 12:30 AM IST on November 25, 2022.
Where can you watch the Brazil vs Serbia match in India?
The Brazil vs Serbia World Cup opening match will be telecasted live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. On Android and well as iOS, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be live streamed on JioCinema.
Where can you watch the Brazil vs Serbia match outside India?
The following list shows where you can watch the Brazil vs Serbia match outside India:
United States – TV: FOX, Telemundo; Live Stream: fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada – TV: CTV, TSN; Live Stream: fuboTV, TSN app
United Kingdom – TV: BBC One; Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website
Australia – TV: SBS; Live Stream: SBS On Demand
New Zealand – TV: Sky Sports; Live Stream: Sky Sport
Malaysia – TV: RTM, Astro; Live Stream: Astro Go
Singapore – TV: Mediacorp Channel 5; Live Stream: StarHub TV+, IPTV, Singtel TV
Hong Kong – TV: BeIN Sports, ITV; Live Stream: Now TV, ViuTV
Nigeria – SuperSport and Showmax Pro.