In the humid evening air of Kolkata, Brazil brought a far-flung international tour to a decisive close, defeating India 4-0 in the first meeting ever played between the two national teams.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side arrived in eastern India after two less assured outings against Australia, where a 1-1 draw was followed by a 4-2 win. This was a more comfortable result, even if Brazil did not entirely remove every doubt surrounding their recent performances. Their technical advantage was clear throughout a match played in demanding conditions, and the scoreline steadily reflected it.
Ancelotti made extensive changes to his starting side, offering opportunities that were taken before the interval. Estevao opened the scoring with an individual move and a shot from outside the box, although India’s goalkeeper could have dealt with the effort more convincingly. Pedro, selected as Brazil’s central attacking reference, then added a second shortly before half-time.
Both goalscorers made a persuasive case after being handed places in a much-altered line-up. Vinicius started and repeatedly looked to carry Brazil’s attacking responsibility, but he was unable to find the finishing touch before being replaced at the break. Endrick entered with around half an hour left, yet he too finished without a goal.
Lino finishes Kolkata night with two goals
The second half belonged to Samu Lino, the former Atletico Madrid player now with Flamengo. Introduced from the bench, he capitalised on a defensive error to make it 3-0, then struck again in stoppage time to complete both Brazil’s four-goal victory and his own brace.
For Brazil, the Kolkata fixture supplied the emphatic ending that their two matches against Australia had not quite provided. For India, it was a first encounter with one of the game’s great travelling nations, played in a city whose heat and humidity made the contest a physical test as well as a footballing occasion.
