Neymar issued a statement of intent for this summer’s World Cup as he scored on his return to the Brazil side.
Fantasy managers should also look to Peru as they recorded another win, while Spain were held to a disappointing draw against Switzerland.
We’ve got all the goals and assists from the latest round of international friendlies.
BRAZIL 2-0 CROATIA
Substitutes Neymar and Roberto Firmino grabbed the goals as Brazil enjoyed a 2-0 win over Croatia at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. It was the 16th victory of coach Tite’s 20 matches in charge.
Philippe Coutinho laid on the assist for the opener before Real Madrid’s Casemiro provided another for Firmino’s stoppage time strike.
Neither of the goal-scorers started the match with coach Tite opting to deploy Paulinho, Gabriel Jesus and Coutinho in a front three. Of the two, Neymar is the more likely to be in the starting line-up on June 17 against Switzerland with Firmino only featuring from the beginning in three qualifiers. That said, his goal on Sunday was his 15th at Anfield for club and country in what has been the best season of his career so far.
In defence Danilo started at right-back in the absence of the injured Dani Alves. The Manchester City man, alongside Marcelo and centre-backs Thiago Silva and Joao Miranda, helped Brazil to their 18th clean sheet in 25 matches.
Despite the result, Croatia created some chances from some high-tempo direct football in the first half with Dejan Lovren and Andrej Kramaric unable to convert them.
The Vatreni’s talisman Luka Modric was, once again, deployed further forward in a number 10 role while
Mario Mandzukic stayed on the Croatian bench for the entire 90 minutes after suffering from a string of injuries between February and May.
BRAZIL XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Marcelo (Filipe Luis 60’), Miranda (Marquinhos 65’), Silva, Danilo; Fernandinho (Neymar 46’), Casemiro, Willian (Fred 82’); Coutinho (Taison 82’), Jesus (Firmino 60’), Paulinho.
CROATIA XI (4-2-3-1): Subasic; Vida, Lovren, Corluka (Caleta-Car 52′), Vrsaljko (Jedvaj 87′); Rakitic (Bradaric 83′), Badelj (Brozovic 61′); Perisic, Modric (Kovacic 58′), Rebic (Pjaca 64′); Kramaric.
SPAIN 1-1 SWITZERLAND
Despite dominating possession, an experimental Spain side could not record a victory against an opportunistic Switzerland side.
A mistake from David de Gea, fresh from being named our Fantasy Premier League goalkeeper of the season, allowed Ricard Rodriguez to score an equaliser on the hour-mark, after Alvaro Odriozola broke the deadlock in the first-half.
Manchester City midfielder David Silva, Spain’s best performer in qualifying, provided the assist for Odriozola’s opener and had chances to score his 36th international goal too.
The Spanish line-up saw Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta earn a rare start in the absence of Sergio Ramos, who was rested after his involvement in the Champions League final with Real Madrid.
Two of Ramos’ team-mates in Dani Carvajal and Isco were not involved although Nacho, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez came on as second-half substitutes. Meanwhile, Andres Iniesta started the match before being replaced in the 55th minute by Saul.
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer was the hero for Switzerland as he made a number of saves to keep his nation in the match.
Xherdan Shaqiri was deployed on the right-wing but had little influence on the meeting, which was mostly about containment for the Swiss. Granit Xhaka missed out through injury but is expected to make the final 23-man squad.
Goal-scoring defender Fabian Schar, whose status as a regular had become doubtful following poor form with Deportivo La Coruna, started the match but was replaced by Johan Djourou at half-time.
SPAIN XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Alba (Monreal 78’), Azpilicueta, Pique, Odriozola (Nacho 70’); Alcantara, Koke, D Silva (Asensio 60’), Iniesta (Saul 55’), Aspas (Vazquez 46’); Costa (Rodrigo 60’).
SWITZERLAND XI (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Rodriguez (Moubandje 78’), Akanji, Schar (Djourou 46’), Lichsteiner (Lang 63’); Zakaria, Behrami (Fernandes 63’); Zuber, Dzemaili (Embolo 46’), Shaqiri; Seferovic (Drmic 46’).
SAUDI ARABIA 0-3 PERU
Paolo Guerrero scored a brace in his first match for Peru since October, after the temporary lifting of a drug ban allowed him to play at the World Cup.
It was his first start for the national side since October but the 34-year-old was straight back into the action extending his record as Peru’s all-time top-goalscorer to 34 strikes.
Watford forward Andre Carillo scored and assisted as Peru recorded a fifth straight win with their sixth clean sheet in eight matches.
Most interestingly from a Fantasy perspective, defender Yoshimar Yotun, who registered four assists in qualifying, was deployed in central midfield once again.
However, suggestions that the two talismanic figures of Jefferson Farfan and Guerrero could play up-front together were dealt a blow when the latter was replaced by the former in the 65th minute.
Saudi Arabia were poor but started the match without several key players. Mohamed Al-Sahlawi came on late in the second-half and Taissir Al-Jassim replaced Salman Al-Faraj at half-time.
Meanwhile, there was encouraging news as penalty-taking midfielder Nawaf Al-Abed, top-scorer in qualifying, returned to the side after a nine-month absence through injury. He had a 22-minute run-out in the second-half.
SAUDI ARABIA XI (4-2-3-1): Al Maiouf; Al-Harbi (Al-Shahrani 46’), Albulayhi, M Hawsawi, Al Buraya; Al-Faraj (Al-Jassim 46’), Alkhaibari (Al-Khaibri 69’), Al-Dawsari (Al-Sahlawi 61’), Mogahwi, Al-Muwallad (Al-Kuwaykibi 77’), Babhir (Al-Abed 68’).
PERU XI (4-4-1-1): Gallese; Trauco (Loyola 61’), Santamaria, Ramos (Araujo 46’), Advincula (Corzo 63’); Flores (Hurtado 70’), Tapia, Yotun, Carrillo; Cueva (Pena 76’); Guerrero (Farfan 65’).
COSTA RICA 3-0 NORTHERN IRELAND
Former Arsenal man Joel Campbell was the star of the show for Costa Rica as he scored and assisted in a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Johan Venegas headed home the opener, latching onto a Geancarlo Gonzalo flick-on from a corner in the 30th minute. Campbell scored his goal on seconds into the second-half, Daniel Colindres laying on the assist.
Campbell became a provider in the 66th minute as his corner was guided into the net by substitute Francisco Calvo.
Costa Rica looked good value throughout the game especially showcasing the pace on offer in their squad and their strength at set-pieces.
COSTA RICA XI (5-4-1): Navas (Moreira 35’); Oviedo, Duarte (Calvo 46’), Gonzalez (Waston 73’), Acosta, Gamboa (Smith 64’); Colindres, Guzman, Borges (Tejeda 64’), Campbell; Venegas (Matarrita 70’).
MEXICO 1-0 SCOTLAND
Giovani dos Santos’ first international goal in just under two years was the difference as Mexico beat Scotland.
However, coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s side really should have won by a wider margin after Miguel Layun and Hirving Lozano had good chances to score too.
In the second-half, Oribe Peralta had the ball in the net but was flagged offside.
Former Arsenal striker Carlos Vela provided the assist for dos Santos’ winning goal, having been deployed on the right-wing.
West Ham’s Javier Hernandez was among the unused substitutes.
MEXICO XI (4-2-3-1): Ochoa; Gallardo, Salcedo (Marquez 46’), Ayala, Alvarez; Herrera (Fabian 58’), Layun; Lozano (Corona 73’), G. dos Santos (J. dos Santos 57’), Vela (Aquino 63’); Jimenez (Peralta 57’).
World Cup previews by team
Group A – Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group B – Iran, Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Group C – Australia, Peru, France, Denmark
Group D – Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
Group E – Brazil, Switzerland
Our editor’s Fantasy World Cup tips as told to Proper Sport
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