Brazil produced a dominant second-half display to secure a convincing 4-0 victory over India in an eagerly anticipated international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
Estevao and Pedro were the standout performers for the visitors, with both players contributing a goal and an assist, while substitute Samuel Lino scored twice to complete a comfortable win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
The result ensured Brazil finished the international break unbeaten, following their earlier results against Australia. The Selecao also came through the game without any fresh injury concerns after Raphinha had withdrawn from the squad earlier in the week.
India made a lively start and looked willing to test Brazil from distance. Apuia was among the early threats, although his effort failed to trouble debutant goalkeeper Pedro Morisco. Brazil soon responded, with Vinicius Junior forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into a sharp save at his near post.
Brazil gradually took control of proceedings and opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Estevao received the ball around 20 yards from goal before unleashing a powerful low drive. Sandhu got a hand to the effort but could not prevent it from finding the back of the net.
The Chelsea winger remained a constant threat and almost turned provider again when his cross was met by Pedro, whose header struck the right-hand post.
Brazil eventually doubled their advantage shortly before half-time. In the 42nd minute, Estevao produced a clever reverse pass to release Pedro inside the penalty area, with the Flamengo forward making no mistake as he powered his finish beyond Sandhu.
India had a chance to respond when Sandhu denied Vinicius, with Apuia reacting quickest to the rebound. Both teams made several changes at the interval, with Vinicius among those withdrawn.
Brazil's substitutes continued to make an impact, and Samuel Lino added a third shortly before the hour mark. Pedro's instinctive flick found Lino in space, allowing the substitute to curl a composed finish into the far corner.
India struggled to regain momentum after conceding the third, but Ryan Williams came close to pulling one back. He first saw his effort cleared off the line by Mauro Junior before firing narrowly wide from the right side of the box.
Brazil continued to threaten late on and eventually added a fourth in stoppage time. Lino cut inside from the left before drilling a low effort past substitute goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill to complete his brace.
Young Brazil Attackers Make Their Mark
The victory provided several positives for Brazil as Ancelotti continues to shape the team during the post-Neymar era.
Estevao was particularly impressive, scoring once and creating another goal. The Chelsea winger has now scored six goals in 14 appearances for Brazil, despite starting only seven of those matches.
Pedro also enjoyed an impressive outing on his first Brazil start, registering a goal and an assist, while Lino opened his senior international account with a two-goal performance on just his fourth appearance for the national team.
Brazil recorded 20 shots and 1.2 expected goals, while India managed nine attempts and 0.29 xG. Despite the visitors' dominance, India showed flashes of attacking intent, particularly through Apuia and Williams.
Brazil will return to Asia during the November international window, when they are scheduled to face Japan and Singapore. The upcoming fixtures could provide further opportunities for Estevao, Pedro, Lino and Brazil's emerging attacking options to establish themselves on the international stage.