La Selecao came out victorious against Peru in the sem-finals of Copa America 2021.
Brazil defeated Peru 1-0 in the semi-finals of Copa America as Lucas Paqueta‘s strike proved decisive.
The hosts dominated the proceedings from the start, keeping the Peruvians defence busy.
Their hard work paid off when midfielder Lucas Paqueta found the nets in the 35th minute, finishing off Neymar‘s impressive left-footed pass.
However, Brazilians failed to keep up the momentum in the second half, and were restricted in their own half. But the visitors, despite looking dangerous on several occasions, failed to find the equaliser.
Brazil have secured their place in the finals for the second consecutive time and will face either Argentina or Colombia.
Lucas Paqueta proving to be the trump card of Tite
Lucas Paqueta has been garnering the right kind of attention of late for his impressive performances with Selecao. The new-look midfielder – thanks to his revival of his form at Lyon, is brimming with confidence – has netted 2 goals in 2 games, and all have come in the knockout stages. The 23-year-old brings a lot of elements to Tite’s side, and the most important thing is his goal-scoring knack. Playing with two solid defensive midfielders Casemiro and Fred, behind, Paqueta has the freedom alongside Neymar to influence the game.
Neymar with a magical assist
Although the PSG star couldn’t find the nets, his brilliance on the field remained the same. Neymar toyed with Peruvians with his tricks and turns, and the way he set up Paqueta’s goal was extraordinary. The 29-year-old managed to beat a handful of defenders before releasing the ball precisely to the Lyon midfielder. With that assist, Neymar is currently the second most assists provider of the competition behind Lionel Messi.
