Brazil’s victory over India on Saturday was a rout, as five-time world champions Samuel Lino netted his first two foreign goals, while India’s stubborn fighting eventually buckled.
Carlo Ancelotti’s guests finished their Australia & India tour undefeated with two victories and a draw in three games. The Brazil coach stuck to his guns, making eight changes to the side which beat Australia 4-2 on Tuesday and keeping only Vinicius Jr, Danilo and Gabriel Bontempo.
India came into the game with the right mind set of defense. Their backline tried to cut outside Vinicius and keep him away from the opposition, as much as they could, and were consistently caught on the wing, while the Brazilian midfield struggled not to give away clear shots.
The hosts also attempted to play Manvir Singh with long passes to take advantage of space in the back of the Brazil defence. That one was to work for a while but Brazil finally broke through in the 28th minute. Chelsea winger Estevao was in possession from the right wing before pumping a left footed shot home into the near post.
Then, Estevao became a provider and unleashed a defence-splitting pass to give Pedro the chance to double Brazil’s lead after half-time. But India did not find their form after the break and Brazil started to establish more room around the Green.
The Flamengo winger had his first goal for Brazil off a supply from Pedro just before the hour mark. Lino then tied the score three minutes before the break, dribbling past two Indian defenders and calmly slotting to make it four. The crowd at Salt Lake Stadium was estimated at 51,000, making for a great ambiance as they cheered on Brazil’s attacking play.
