Brazil 1-0 Uruguay
A second-half penalty by Brazil’s captain Neymar was enough to win this battle of the South American giants at the Emirates Stadium.
The PSG man was a livewire throughout and deserved his goal, but it was a little tough on Uruguay who put up a good fight in more ways than one! International Friendly: Brazil vs Uruguay is a fixture to capture the imagination, and we were looking forward to an attacking spectacle to take the breath away at the Emirates. But while goalmouth action was often at a premium, there was no lack of passion.
Highlights of the game
Two of the biggest names in world football led the teams out at the Emirates to thunderous applause, as Neymar and Luis Suarez proudly stepped into the cold London air.
Brazil vs Uruguay predictions can always safely forecast a full-blooded clash, and with eight yellow cards, six for Uruguay, this game fit the bill perfectly! Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur is Uruguay’s best midfielder, relied upon to do the creative as well as the dirty work. He chopped down Neymar as the Brazil skipper advanced towards the penalty area. His resulting free-kick was pushed around the post by Martin Campaña. Minutes later, Neymar hooked the ball into the net but was marginally offside.
It was all Brazil and all Neymar as he beat two players before unleashing a shot from 25 yards which flew inches over. Without the injured Diego Godin, Uruguay’s defence was getting a serious test in the first 15 minutes.
La Celeste began to find a way into the game, and the feared strike partnership of Suarez and Edinson Cavani started to link up well. On 22 minutes, Suarez curled a fine effort towards goal which Alisson tipped over. At the other end, Filipe Luis shot narrowly over the bar and Walace headed wide from a Douglas Costa cross.
Uruguay had the last chance of the first half when Suarez stood up a lovely cross to Cavani, but the PSG man didn’t catch his shot cleanly and Alisson was on hand to push his effort behind.
And Alisson was the first keeper in action in the second half, saving a free kick from Suarez. It was all Uruguay in the early stages of the second period, and a moment of brilliance by Suarez almost produced a goal. The Barca man left two defenders standing and floated a ball across to Gaston Pereiro, but he missed his header when a goal looked certain.
Neymar was in on the action again testing Campaña with a low drive which the Uruguay stopper gathered at the second attempt. Then came the big moment on 75 minutes. Danilo nicked the ball off Diego Laxalt who then tripped the Manchester City man and the referee pointed to the spot.
Neymar stepped up and, with all the ease of a training-ground practice, sent Campaña the wrong way. It was a bit harsh on Uruguay who had been the better side since the break.
Martin Caceres became to fifth Uruguay player to be booked, as the underdogs seethed with just ten minutes left on the clock. It could have gotten worse for Oscar Tabarez’ men when Neymar hit a beauty of a cross-field ball to Richarlison, but the Everton man hammered his volley wide when he should have at least hit the target.
The seconds ticked by and Neymar began to showboat, but Cavani wasn’t amused and he too was booked for a foul on his club team-mate.
Key statistics
SBOBET tips always fancied the Selecao to win at odds of 1.52, but we expected it to be a little easier. Uruguay, and particularly Suarez, were impressive; nine shots to Brazil’s 12 with four each on target reflected a closely fought clash.
Since losing to Belgium in the World Cup, Brazil have returned to winning ways and now have five on the run. And unlucky they may be, Tabarez’ men have now lost three in a row after back-to-back defeats to Japan and South Korea.
Tite’s reign as coach of Brazil is looking good, with 25 wins from 31 games and 24 clean sheets. And this outcome leaves head-to-head Brazil vs Uruguay results since 1950 at eight to three in Brazil’s favour.
What’s next?
Brazil were one of the favourites for World Cup 2018 alongside eventual winners France. Football is in the DNA of the nation, and they can’t stop winning at the moment. Next up for the Selecao is a match with Cameroon at Stadium MK. Les Lions Indomptables reached the World Cup quarter-finals back in 1990, and coach Clarence Seedorf is hoping to bring back the glory days.
For Uruguay, it’s a trip to the Stade de France in Paris to take on the World Champions. They can take heart after this display, but a fourth consecutive defeat might well be on the cards.
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