India went into the break 2-0 down against Brazil in their historic international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with Estevao and Pedro finding the back of the net in the first halfLa Selecao controlled much of the opening 45 minutes and created the better chances against Khalid Jamil’s side.
Brazil started with plenty of possession and looked to attack through their front threeVinicius Junior provided an early threat from the left, while Estevao operated on the other side and kept India’s defence busyIndia tried to stay compact and looked for opportunities on the counter.
The hosts had a couple of early moments but struggled to keep the ball for long periodsBrazil’s passing allowed them to move into India’s half regularly, with the visitors also winning several corners during the opening stagesThe pressure finally paid off in the 28th minute.
Estevao opened the scoring to give Brazil a 1-0 leadThe youngster finished after a move involving Matheuzinho, giving India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu little chance to keep the effort out.
WATCH | Estêvão goal that put Brazil ahead against India
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India tried to respond after conceding but found it difficult to break through Brazil’s defenceAnirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad tried to get India moving forward, while Manvir Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan looked to provide an outlet in attack.
Brazil continued to control possession and kept India pinned back for long spellsThe visitors also came close to adding a second before eventually getting their reward three minutes before half-time.
Pedro doubled Brazil’s advantage in the 42nd minuteEstevao played a part in the move before Pedro finished to make it 2-0.
The second goal made India’s task even harderBrazil went into half-time with a two-goal cushion after producing a strong attacking display in the opening period.
India did manage to earn four corners in the first half, but they could not turn those opportunities into a goalBrazil, meanwhile, had five corners and registered four shots on target compared to India’s two attempts, according to the match statistics.
The match remains a major test for India against Brazil who are ranked among the world’s top teamsThe game is also the first senior men’s international meeting between the two countriesBrazil entered the contest ranked fifth in the FIFA rankings, while India were 138th.
