Peru 2-4 Brazil: 5 talking points as Neymar hat-trick inspires Selecao to a come-from-behind win| 2022 World Cup Qualifiers
Neymar struck thrice to guide Brazil to a hard-fought 4-2 win over Peru in Lima in the second round of the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in South America.
The PSG star dispatched two penalties before pouncing on a late defensive lapse by the hosts to round off his hat-trick to seal all three points for the Selecao.
Chances were at a premium for both sides as the match degenerated into an ugly contest of rash challenges and erroneous officiating towards the tail end, with the Blanquirroja even getting reduced to ten men.
On that note, let's delve into the five major talking points from the match:
#1 Hat-trick hero Neymar saved the day for Brazil
After taking on the creative mantle of his side against Bolivia in the opening round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Neymar was back in familiar terrain against Peru and returned to the scoresheet with a hat-trick.
It wasn't the best he's ever scored but was enough to maintain Brazil's 100% start to their qualifying campaign. In the process, Neymar moved ahead of Ronaldo Nazario in the all-time scoring charts for the five-time World Cup winners.
The treble now brings the 28-year-old Neymar's international tally up to 64 goals, just seven short of Pele, the all-time top-scorer for Brazil.
After netting twice from the spot, the PSG ace exhibited pure predatory instincts for his third goal of the night by racing inside the area and slamming home a loose ball to catch Peru napping.
#2 Peru collapsed in the final quarter
The Peruvians might not have a stellar squad but have proved capable of causing upsets in the past. They were quite close to eking out another against Brazil in Lima, but a spectacular collapse in the final 15 minutes completely knocked the wind out of their sails.
For starters, Luis Abram conceded the second penalty by throwing Everton to the ground in a desperate challenge. That allowed Neymar to put Brazil ahead before Carlos Zambrano reduced Peru to a numerical disadvantage for the final few minutes by getting sent off for an elbow on Richarlison.
As if that wasn't enough, the Blanquirroja then contrived to make an absolute mockery of themselves at the back once again when Everton's chip went unchallenged from both Miguel Araujo and Pedro Aquino, allowing Neymar to tap the loose ball into an open goal.