Brazil 5-0 Bolivia: Player ratings for the Selecao as Neymar and Roberto Firmino help them to a thumping win | World Cup Qualifiers
Brazil smashed five past Bolivia in their opening fixture of World Cup qualifiers on Friday night as Tite's men kick-started their campaign in scintillating fashion. With Neymar and Roberto Firmino spearheading the attack upfront, the visitors had no chance.
Brazil opened their account through Marquinhos, who headed in perfectly to give his side an early lead. Building on the lead, Roberto Firmino bagged himself a brace. The hosts were gifted another goal by Bolivia's Jose Carrasco for their fourth of the night.
It was Philippe Coutinho who put the drapes on the show as he scored a perfect header from an inch-perfect Neymar cross.
Here's how each player fared for the Brazil national team:
Brazil player ratings
Weverton- 7/10
Weverton was a spectator for the majority of the game as Bolivia barely did anything to pose a threat. The Palmeiras number 1 was solid with his distribution and was quick to come off his line in order to deal with any immediate danger.
Danilo- 8/10
Danilo was an absolute workhorse against Bolivia. His darting runs up and down the pitch yielded no response from the visitors. He kept making overlapping runs throughout the night and set up Marquinhos with an inch-perfect cross to put the hosts up 1-0.
Marquinhos- 8/10
Marquinhos opened the scoring for the hosts as he headed in a perfectly rehearsed move. Apart from the goal, the defender was not troubled much as he dealt with the majority of Bolivia's advancements with ease.
Thiago Silva- 6/10
Thiago Silva had a decent outing. He did not have much to do as Casemiro and Marquinhos were able to deal with most of the threats. Although he was troubled by the physicality of the Bolivians occasionally, nothing substantial came out of their attempts.
Renan Lodi- 8/10
Renan Lodi put in a great performance. Although he did not have much to do defensively, he was a menace upfront. Lodi linked up with Neymar to set Firmino up for his first goal of the night. He created 3 chances, won 6 duels and completed 2 dribbles successfully.
Philippe Coutinho- 8/10
Philippe Coutinho continued his blistering run as he registered his name on the score-sheet. He headed in a beautiful cross by Neymar to score Brazil's fifth goal of the night. The FC Barcelona star linked up well with the forwards as he constantly tried to make something happen upfront.
Casemiro- 8/10
Casemiro was an absolute rock for Brazil in the centre of the park as nothing went past him The Real Madrid star neutralised all attacks that went down his path. He regained possession for his side 11 times, won 8 duels and made 2 successful tackles. He was spot on with his distribution as well.
Douglas Luiz- 8/10
Douglas Luiz combined well with Casemiro in the centre to maintain the tempo of the game. The duo had the midfield in complete control. Luiz completed 88 passes throughout the game and made 10 recoveries.
Everton- 7/10
Everton put in a massive shift for Brazil on the right flank. The 24-year-old combined well with Firmino and Coutinho as he provided an outlet from right. Everton won 4 duels, completed 4 dribbles and made 5 recoveries.
Roberto Firmino- 9/10
Roberto Firmino enjoyed a fantastic outing for Brazil as he scored a brace. The Liverpool star coolly tapped in both of his goals to round off beautiful team moves. Firmino was a constant threat up front and kept Bolivia's defenders engaged throughout his time on the pitch.
Neymar- 10/10
Neymar stole the show for Brazil as he had a phenomenal night with the ball at his feet. The Paris Saint-Germain talisman bagged two assists as he set up Firmino and Coutinho once each. He toyed with Bolivia's defence throughout the game as he went on to complete 18 dribbles. Moreover, he also won 21 duels and created 4 chances for his side.
Substitutes
Rodrygo Goes- 6/10
Rodrygo came on for Everton in the 59th minute. Although he was unsettled by the physicality of the visitors, he did try to make something happen on his own.
Felipe- 6/10
Felipe came on for Silva in the 71st minute of the game. He did not have anything substantial to do as Brazil were already cruising by the time he entered.
Richarlison- 5/10
Richarlison did not have much impact on the game.
Alex Telles- 5/10
Alex Telles did not have enough time to leave his mark on the tie.
Everton Ribeiro- 6/10
Although Everton Ribeiro came on late in the game, he disrupted Bolivia's defence with his resilience.