Brazil made a winning start to the 2022 World Cup as Richarlison scored a screamer in their 2-0 win over Serbia tonight.
The South American giants have won this trophy more than any other team, but are aiming to end a 20-year wait to lift it again, with Tite’s side looking one of the favourites, at least on paper.
It wasn’t always easy for them against a stubborn Serbia side tonight, but Richarlison’s quality got them through. Here are the Brazil player ratings in full…
Alisson – 6.5 – The Liverpool goalkeeper didn’t have a huge amount to do tonight, but was good on the ball as usual to help Brazil play out from the back.
Thiago Silva – 8 – Rock-solid at the back, calm and experienced, Thiago Silva really is still one of the very best defenders in the world even at the age of 38. He’ll have tougher tests than this, but he kept Dusan Vlahovic quiet and remains crucial for his country.
Marquinhos – 7 – Another solid defensive performance, Marquinhos did the simple things well to help Brazil pick up three points in their opening group game.
Danilo – 6.5 – A decent enough performance at right-back, but perhaps didn’t always offer enough going forward, as the great Brazilian full-backs of the past have.
Alex Sandro – 7 – By contrast, Alex Sandro was a big threat going forward, almost scoring a wonder-goal with a powerful strike that hit the post.
Casemiro – 8 – A fine performance from the Manchester United midfielder, who ran the show in midfield and created a great opportunity with a sublime pass in the first half.
Lucas Paqueta – 7 – Some nice moments from Lucas Paqueta in Brazil’s midfield, looking more comfortable for his national team than he often has for his club West Ham this season.
Raphinha – 6.5 – Not the most effective performance from Barcelona winger Raphinha, who will have to step up if he is to keep his place in the team given quite how much competition Brazil have in attack.
Vinicius – 7 – A lively display on the left-hand side, Vinicius could perhaps have done better with a scoring chance in the first half, but was otherwise a constant threat and exciting to watch.
Neymar – 6.5 – Not Neymar’s most influential game, and he went off injured. We’ll have to hope that’s not the last we see of the Paris Saint-Germain forward at this…
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