That concludes our commentary of the Copa America fixture between Brazil and Peru! We hope you enjoyed it!
Peru are in action next on June 20 against Colombia, who are also Brazil’s next opponent – three days later on June 23.
Brazil make it two wins in two at the Copa America after a confident 90 minutes sees them beat Peru 4-0 in Rio. Alex Sandro’s first-half volley was met in the second by a trio of goals, as Neymar, Ribeiro and Richarlison all contributed to the convincing victory. Peru did very little for their part as their struggles to transition between defence and attack persisted in the second half, as Carrillo and Cueva were unable to have any impact. The win is the Selecao’s ninth in a row and sixth clean sheet on the bounce as they continue to look favourites for this competition.
90′ + 6′ FULL-TIME: BRAZIL 4-0 PERU.
90′ + 5′ Neymar looks to make a free-kick count on the left side of the penalty area, but he once again misplaces his effort, this time sending it high over Gallese’s goal.
90′ + 3′ RICHARLISON MAKES IT FOUR IN INJURY TIME! A scramble in front of goal after a great save on Firmino allows Richarlison to put home the rebound with his second effort via a scissor kick while on the ground!
90′ + 1′ The fourth official indicates six minutes will be added for stoppages.
Richarlison
Assist
89′ The substitution paid off in the end for Tite, as Richarlison gets the assist after being introduced at half-time.
Éverton Ribeiro
Goal
89′ FANTASTIC GOAL FROM BRAZIL TO MAKE IT 3-0! It’s Ribeiro’s first-ever goal for the Selecao, interchanging with Neymar in midfield before driving into the penalty area and sliding to get on the end of Richarlison’s cross – converting his chance high into the roof of the net giving Gallese no chance!
87′ Fred goes on a charging run through midfield and gets into the penalty area before squaring it to Firmino, whose shot from the edge of the six-yard box is blocked by a sprawling Gallese!
85′ SO CLOSE! Neymar looks to curl the ball around the wall and pick out the far post, but the captain is unable to hit the mark as he sends it narrowly wide of the goal!
Emerson
Danilo
84′ Barcelona’s Emerson is on for Danilo, as Tite makes a change at right-back.
G. Távara
Yellow Card
82′ Neymar nutmegs Tapia and spins around Ramos on his way towards goal but is brought down by an unimpressed Tavara. It’s a yellow card for the cynical foul, which gives Brazil a chance to strike from the free-kick.
81′ Neymar steps up to take a Brazil free-kick on the left edge of the penalty area, sending a dipping shot towards Gallese which the goalkeeper catches cleanly at the first time of asking.
79′ OVER FROM CLOSE RANGE! A Peru free-kick from the right is swung into the area, where it’s nodded backward by an unsuspecting Fabinho. The ball at the far post is put into the six-yard box for Valera – who unbelievably sends the open-net opportunity over the crossbar!
Renan Lodi
Alex Sandro
77′ Alex Sandro is given a rest with 13 minutes remaining, as Atletico Madrid’s Lodi is chosen as his replacement.
75′ Again Neymar is allowed to run through the middle of the pitch unmarked but his scuffed volley from 25 yards out drags harmlessly wide of Gallese’s far post.
G. Távara
C. Cueva
74′ Tavara is sent on with just over 15 minutes left, as Cueva is the man to make way.
A. Arias
Y. Yotún
74′ Arias is sent on in Yotun’s place, as the midfielder was already shown a booking.
73′ GREAT SAVE GALLESE! Neymar charges forward once again but plays a pass out to the left for Richarlison, who shapes to hit the ball with a first-time curler, forcing a great diving parry from the Peru goalkeeper!
Roberto Firmino
Gabriel Jesus
72′ Firmino gets a chance to make his mark with 18 minutes remaining, as Tite opts to withdraw Jesus.
70′ Neymar needs just nine goals for Brazil to go level with all-time scoring leader Pele, who holds the record with 77 strikes for the Selecao.
Fred
Assist
68′ Fred gets himself on the statsheet with an assist, after finding Neymar in space to set up the second goal.
Neymar
Goal
68′ NEYMAR DOUBLES BRAZIL’S ADVANTAGE! It’s a great goal from the captain, who receives a pass from Fred 20 yards from goal and turns to face Ramos, before working some room to take a shot – sending his low-driven effort into the far corner! 2-0!
A. Valera
G. Lapadula
67′ Valera gets a chance to lead the line as Lapadula is recalled to the bench.
L. Iberico
S. Peña
67′ Iberico is on for Pena as Peru look to change things up with 23 minutes remaining.
63′ PENALTY TO BRAZIL OVERTURNED! Neymar gets into the penalty area and stutters to draw contact from Tapia before the two intertwine legs, sending the Brazil captain to the ground. After initially giving a spot-kick, the referee’s lengthy discussion with VAR changes the decision, as there was not sufficient force to send Neymar down!
61′ Brazil and Peru have played each other 19 times in the Copa America before tonight, with the Selecao winning on 13 occasions- compared to Peru’s three.
Gabriel Jesus
Yellow Card
59′ Jesus goes through the back of Cueva and sends him to the ground right in front of the referee, who has no other choice but to book the winger.
58′ Yotun slides in and blocks the path of Fred, giving Brazil a free-kick in midfield. The Peru midfielder must be careful as he’s already on a booking.
56′ Jesus receives a leading pass from Fred on the edge of the penalty area and chips a ball across to the far post for Richarlison, who loses his footing – allowing Peru to escape with a throw.
54′ Militao is down holding his arm after a duel with Lapadula near the corner flag. Brazil have won the goal-kick but the centre-back is very slow to get up and retake his position.
52′ BRAZIL COME CLOSE TO DOUBLING THEIR LEAD! Jesus charges forward and squares a pass for Danilo, who opts to strike at goal from just outside the penalty area – missing the target by centimetres!
50′ Neymar’s inswinging corner is taken to the edge of the six-yard box, but Gallese steps off his line and catches the delivery cleanly.
48′ A free-kick from deep in midfield is floated towards the edge of the penalty area by Yotun, but it’s headed away immediately by a covering Brazil defender.
46′ Brazil get the match restarted from the kick-off!
Richarlison
Gabriel Barbosa
46′ Gabi is the second player withdrawn at the half, with Richarlison sent on in his place.
Éverton Ribeiro
Éverton
46′ The first of two changes at the half for Brazil sees Ribeiro replace Everton.
Peru will be forced to come forward and attack in the second half, as a 1-0 defeat does them no good in their quest to qualify from group A. Gareca will need to be creative with his substitutions however, as no forward selected in the squad has scored a goal for his country. Brazil will look to capitalise on the spaces left in-behind and could benefit from fresh legs off the bench in order to do so, with the likes of Liverpool’s Firmino, Everton’s Richarlison and Real Madrid’s Vinicius all available.
A comfortable if not convincing Brazil take a 1-0 lead into half-time, as Alex Sandro’s 12th-minute strike is all that separates the two sides. Both goalkeepers have been relatively uninvolved as Brazil’s only shot on target was the goal, while the visitors have been held to the odd long-distance strike. Peru failed to turn defence into attack effectively down the flanks, leaving the Brazil rearguard in a position of relative comfort.
45′ + 2′ HALF-TIME: BRAZIL 1-0 PERU.
45′ + 1′ OVER! Alex Sandro finds himself in possession just inside Peru’s penalty area after a Neymar layoff, but the Juventus defender leans back as he strikes it and sends the chance over the crossbar!
Y. Yotún
Yellow Card
44′ This time Yotun is booked after diving into a lunging challenge on Jesus just outside the Brazil penalty area in order to stop a counter-attack.
43′ Neymar once again drops deep to pick up the ball and is sent to the ground by a strong Yotun challenge. The referee fails to brandish a card, but it will be a free-kick.
41′ Cueva swings a corner-kick into the penalty area, but Jesus is first to it – clearing the ball with his head at the near post.
39′ Great play from Peru as Cueva cuts inside and plays a lovely throughball into the penalty area for Lapadula, who leaves it for Tapia to run onto. The midfielder takes it wide and looks to chip it over Ederson, but Danilo gets in the way and puts it out for a corner.
37′ Clever play from Lopez, who receives the ball on the left flank near his penalty area and has the presence of mind to play the ball through the legs of Gabi, winning a free-kick with which to move his side up the pitch.
35′ Play is brought to a half as Pena’s slide tackle catches Neymar, sending him down in a heap. The captain should be okay to continue, but he’s limping noticeably.
33′ With just over 10 minutes left in the half Brazil are on top comfortably, without looking anywhere close to their best. Ederson has had very little to do in the opening period, while Thiago Silva and Militao have been able to stroll into the opposition’s half at will. Gareca’s side will need to do more offensively if they wish to trouble the hosts.
31′ Tapia sets his sights at goal and takes a strike from a long way out, but Ederson is able to block the ball to take the sting out before collecting it calmly.
29′ Alex Sandro’s strike at the 12th minute was only his second-ever goal for the Selecao; the first coming in 2018 en-route to a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in a friendly.
27′ Cueva’s corner is taken deep to the far post for Lapadula, but his attempt to head the ball forward for a team-mate brings his side’s attack to an end as the referee flags for offside.
25′ CLOSE FROM FABINHO! Neymar’s corner looking for Jesus is headed away by a Peru defender but only to the edge of the penalty area. The Liverpool midfielder has a second to set himself and strikes a dangerous effort to the far post, missing narrowly!
C. Ramos
Yellow Card
23′ Ramos goes through the back of Neymar in midfield and earns a yellow card for the infringement – the first booking of the evening.
22′ Carrillo puts a cross into the penalty area looking for the head of Lapadula, but Ederson steps off his line comfortably and makes a clean catch to foil the visitors.
20′ Neymar drives through midfield and looks to play a pass in-between the two centre-backs for Gabi, but Abram uses his strength to ease in front and shield the ball for Ramos.
18′ Gabi calls for a foul as he’s marked by three Peru defenders, but Tapia is able to win the ball freely and play it back to Ramos to keep possession as the referee allows play to continue.
16′ The last time Brazil and Peru met in the Copa America was the final in 2019, when the Selecao lifted the trophy for the ninth time after a 3-1 victory.
14′ Brazil haven’t had a scintillating start to the match, but the Selecao are lethal in front of goal, able to create a chance out of nowhere and make their opponents pay. It’s on the visitors to get back into the match as a difficult task becomes even harder.
Gabriel Jesus
Assist
12′ Jesus’ effort at the far post to put the ball back into the middle pays dividends as he’s credited with the assist.
Alex Sandro
Goal
12′ BRAZIL TAKE THE LEAD! 1-0! Everton’s initial cross is rebuffed but not cleared sufficiently by the Peru defence, as Jesus is allowed to latch onto it at the far post. The Manchester City winger centres the ball unselfishly and finds Alex Sandro, who smashes a volley high into the net!
11′ Manchester United’s Fred has a sight of goal from outside the penalty area and whacks an effort towards the net, but the midfielder sends his strike harmlessly wide of Gallese’s far post.
9′ Lopez is played through into the penalty area by a lovely Yotun pass, but the full-back mishits his kick and catches the shin of the covering Militao – giving Brazil a free-kick.
7′ Brazil’s free-flowing football will be put to the test tonight in Rio, where rainy and humid conditions have left the pitch in less than ideal condition. The state of the field will certainly be an advantage for Peru, who are given the unenviable task of halting this potent Brazil attack.
5′ Neymar drops deep into midfield and wins a free-kick from Yotun, who was far too eager in his pressing near the centre-circle.
3′ Peru are looking to put pressure on the hosts early, launching it long to Carrillo but a lack of space in the Brazil defence forces play all the way back to Gallese in the Peru goal.
1′ Peru get the match underway from the kick-off!
Gareca goes with an experienced line-up to start their Copa America campaign, with 521 caps split between the starting XI. Gallese keeps his place in goal, while Corzo, Ramos, Abram and Marcos Lopez start in defence. Tapia and Yotun are familiar faces in the Peru midfield, with a trio ahead of them comprised of Cueva, Pena and Carrillo. The striker chosen to spearhead the attack is Benevento’s Lapadula, in what will be his seventh appearance.
Brazil make six changes from their convincing 3-0 victory over Venezuela on Sunday as Tite looks to freshen things up for match two. A swap in goal sees Manchester City’s Ederson replace Liverpool’s Alisson, while Silva and Alex Sandro replace Marquinhos and Lodi in defence. Casemiro and Paqueta are replaced by Casemiro and Everton in midfield, while Gabi’s goal last time out earns him the start over Richarlison.
PERU SUBS: Alexis Arias, Raziel Garcia, Luis Iberico, Carlos Lora, Renzo Garces, Alexander Callens, Jose Carvallo, Carlos Caceda, Anderson Santamaria, Gerald Tavara, Miguel Araujo, Alex Valera.
PERU XI (4-2-3-1): Pedro Gallese; Aldo Corzo, Christian Ramos, Luis Abram, Marcos Lopez; Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotun; Andre Carrillo, Sergio Pena, Christian Cueva; Gianluca Lapadula.
BRAZIL SUBS: Renan Lodi, Casemiro, Alisson, Vinicius Junior, Everton Ribeiro, Richarlison, Emerson, Marquinhos, Douglas Luiz, Weverton, Roberto Firmino, Lucas Paqueta.
Brazil (4-4-2): Ederson; Alex Sandro; Thiago Silva, Eder Militao, Danilo; Everton, Fabinho, Fred, Gabriel Jesus; Neymar, Gabriel Barbosa.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s see how the two sides will be lining up – starting with Brazil!
It won’t be an easy evening for Peru, who are playing in their first match in the Copa America, as the odd-numbered groups mean one team sits out each matchday. Ricardo Gareca’s team come into the fixture on the back of a poor run of form, losing four of their last five – though they did manage a 2-1 win over Ecuador their last time out. The last time Brazil and Peru squared off, a Neymar hattrick condemned La Blanquirroja to a 4-2 defeat in what was a thrilling game for the neutral.
Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela on opening day extended the Selecao’s winning run to eight matches in all competitions, with a clean sheet in each of their last five games. Neymar’s involvement in the side cannot be understated, with the captain involved in two of his side’s three goals on Sunday – scoring once from the penalty spot to double their advantage before assisting Gabriel Barbosa for the third.
Good evening and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Copa America group B fixture between Brazil and Peru!
Richarlison
Goal