Brazil confirmed top spot and qualification from Group E at the 2018 World Cup in Russia courtesy of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Serbia on Wednesday.
Goals either side of half time from Paulinho and Thiago Silva at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow ensured that Tite’s charges marched into the last 16 with relative ease, while condemning Mladen Krstajic’s Serbian side to group-stage elimination.
The Selecao will now face Group F runners-up Mexico in the knockout stages in Samara next Monday.
Brazil were forced into a peculiar change after just 10 minutes when left-back Marcelo appeared to pull up inconspicuously, leaving Filipe Luís to enter the fray.
Philippe Coutinho shone as the standout performer in the opening half and he was the architect when the Selecao eventually took the lead in the 36th minute.
The Barcelona playmaker saw a gap opening in the Serbian defence and he reacted to send a pinpoint ball through the middle for the run of Paulinho, who chipped a finish over the head of an onrushing Stojkovic to make it 1-0.
Brazil notched a second to help seal all three points in the 68th minute, Neymar crossing from a corner to allow Silva to beat off the challenge of Nemanja Matic and bullet a powerful header past Stojkovic.
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