Goals: Estevao 28', Casemiro 36'.

At the neutral Emirates Stadium in London, England, both teams started with rapid attacks. From the 15th minute, Brazil demonstrated their class by completely dominating the midfield. Senegal attempted to build play from the back but could not withstand the pressure from the South American giant.

Estevao (yellow shirt) opened the scoring in Brazil's 2-0 win over Senegal in London, England on the evening of 15/11. Photo: AFP

Brazil opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Following a pass from Casemiro that deflected off Niakhate, the ball fell to Estevao. The 18-year-old Chelsea club star then curled a shot into the left corner of the net.

Eight minutes after initiating the attack that led to the first goal, Casemiro himself doubled the lead. After Rodrygo delivered a free-kick into the penalty area, the Manchester United midfielder controlled the ball before curling a shot that hit the post and went into the goal.

In this match, Casemiro partnered Bruno Guimaraes in central midfield. Upfront, Brazil attacked with a quartet comprising Matheus Cunha, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Estevao. Their fluid and effective play suggests this could be Coach Carlo Ancelotti's primary lineup for the 2026 World Cup.

Casemiro celebrated his goal in Brazil's victory over Senegal in London, England on the evening of 15/11. Photo: Reuters

However, Brazil still faced some issues in defense. In the 52nd minute, goalkeeper Ederson nearly gifted Senegal an equalizer when he lost possession in the penalty area. Ndiaye then tapped the ball towards an open goal, but it hit the post.

From the middle of the second half, Ancelotti's team frequently played on the counter-attack, reminiscent of Real Madrid. Leveraging the pace of Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Estevao, they repeatedly troubled Senegal's defense. Had the duo playing in Spain been more clinical in front of goal, the score could have been 3-0.

Coach Ancelotti also used the opportunity to test Joao Pedro, Wesley, Lucas Paqueta, and Caio Henrique. However, no further goals were scored in the match.

This marks Coach Ancelotti's fourth victory with Brazil, following three wins against Paraguay (1-0), Chile (3-0), and South Korea (5-0). In their three other matches, he and his players drew 0-0 with Ecuador, lost 0-1 to Bolivia, and 2-3 to Japan.

Following their win against Senegal, Brazil will travel to Lille, France, for another friendly match on 18/11 against another African opponent, Tunisia. All three teams have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Brazil finished fifth in the South American qualifiers, while Senegal and Tunisia topped their respective qualifying groups on the African continent.

Thanh Quy