Brazil 5-0 Bolivia: RobertoFirmino scores brace as Selecao rout visitors in qualifying opener

 Brazil 5-0 Bolivia: Firmino scores brace as Selecao rout visitors in qualifying opener

Roberto Firmino scored twice as Brazil eased past Bolivia 5-0 in a dominant display to kick off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Brazil barely raised a sweat in their opening CONMEBOL qualifier on Friday, outclassing Bolivia thanks to Firmino's brace, while Marquinhos and Philippe Coutinho were also on target, to go with a Jose Carrasco own goal.

Tite's Brazil had not played since their 3-0 win over South Korea in a November friendly after the coronavirus pandemic forced World Cup qualifying to be postponed in March, but the Selecao did not look like a team featuring for the first time in 2020.

Brazil dominated from the outset and they should have scored two goals inside three minutes, however, Everton and Marquinhos wasted golden opportunities in the pouring Sao Paulo rain.

Marquinhos, who glanced a header wide in the third minute, made no mistake in the 16th minute as he got on the end of a Danilo cross and headed powerfully past Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe to open the scoring.

Bolivia could not get close to Brazil and the visitors almost conceded again after Coutinho's shot from the top of the penalty area took a wicked deflection and skidded off the turf, forcing Lampe into a fine diving save.

Bolivia's non-existent defending was exposed when Renan Lodi made an unmarked run and whipped a ball across the six-yard box for Firmino to tap home.

Brazil continued where they left off in the second half after Firmino netted within four minutes of the restart – Neymar playing a ball to his team-mate, who routinely poked home.

Weverton – playing in the absence of injured number one goalkeeper Alisson – had nothing to do until he was called into action by Bruno Miranda's rising shot in the 50th minute.

Brazil showed no mercy as Carrasco deflected the ball into his own net past the hour mark, before Neymar provided the cross for the onrushing Coutinho to head home emphatically with 17 minutes remaining.

What does it mean? Brazil dance to their own beat

Brazil took to the field for the first time in almost a year and the South American giants did not look off the pace, unlike rivals Argentina on Thursday. Albeit against weaker opposition, Brazil kicked off their road to Qatar 2022 in ruthless fashion.

Neymar pulls the strings

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar was not on the scoresheet, but he produced a great performance. After shaking off a back problem, Neymar was at the heart of Brazil's big moments, providing a pair of assists in his 102nd international appearance.

Sorry Bolivia

It was always going to be an uphill battle for South America's whipping boys. Bolivia – beaten 3-0 by Brazil in their last meeting at the 2019 Copa America – rarely threatened, pegged back in their own half for the majority of the contest.

What's next?

Brazil will face Peru on Tuesday, while Bolivia host Lionel Messi's Argentina on the same day.

Eriksen frustrated at Inter: I don't want to sit on the bench

Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen insisted he does not expect to sit on the bench for the rest of the season as he vented his frustration.

Eriksen swapped Tottenham for Inter in January but the Denmark international has struggled to establish himself in Antonio Conte's starting XI.

The 28-year-old has only featured in 73 minutes of Serie A action this term, having started just eight of 17 league fixtures in 2019-20.

In total, Eriksen started 11 matches across all competitions for Inter last season.

Asked about his Inter situation while on international duty as Denmark prepare to face Iceland in Sunday's Nations League clash, Eriksen told reporters: "I don't want to sit on the bench for the whole season. I hope this isn't the coach's or the club's intention.

"There will be an incredible number of matches in a short time, and now we also have three national team matches in a few days. The Champions League starts when we get back to their respective clubs, so there will be a lot of games to play.

"I'm sure I'll probably have my minutes. So it depends a lot on the people on the outside and I myself expect this moment to come.

"I find myself at a point where perhaps I had never been in a club team before. I got off to a great start after arriving at Inter in January and tried to show off then we stopped because of coronavirus and then it went little up and down.

"People's thinking and expectations of me as a player is to be decisive in every game, and that wasn't the case. That's why people from the outside look at me differently now.

"Obviously you become less patient when you have experience and have tried different things… in the end it is always unpleasant to sit on the bench."

Eriksen was linked with a deadline-day exit amid reported interest from Bundesliga duo Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin, but the Danish star remains in Milan.

"I have not heard anything from my agent, and if there was something around me, I would have heard it from him or the club, but there was nothing," he added.

"I gradually got used to the fact that a lot is written in the press. What is true and what is not true, I cannot answer. I only know what I was told and there was nothing concrete. So Monday was just a day like any other for me, because nothing happened."

Neymar and Firmino delight Tite as Brazil start World Cup qualifying in style

Brazil coach Tite praised the performance of Neymar and was pleased at Roberto Firmino's contribution in the 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia.

Liverpool forward Firmino scored twice as Brazil opened their World Cup qualifying campaign in impressive fashion, despite having not played an international fixture in nearly 12 months.

Marquinhos and Philippe Coutinho also scored, with Bolivia not helping their cause with an own goal in the rout in Sao Paulo.

Neymar did not score but was influential throughout, the Paris Saint-Germain forward showing no signs of the back problem that had bothered him during the build-up to the game.

"We seek knowledge, strategies, [to play] with harmony," Tite said after the resounding victory.

"Neymar was looser, more central, with freedom of movement, as the opponent's marking is more demanding.

"Coutinho played inside, with Firmino not far behind. He [Firmino] did not seek the ball so much, he waited for it more.

"He scored two and could have had two more. As the game requires, we may not change the function of the team, but adapt it to suit."

Brazil are next in action on Tuesday, when they are away to Peru.

Tite will hope his side can be just as clinical on their travels in what will be a repeat of the 2019 Copa America final in Rio de Janeiro, a game the Selecao won 3-1 to lift the trophy.

"It is a feature to maintain possession of the ball. But there is no use getting the ball and finishing little," the Brazil boss added in his press conference.

Spain 1-0 Switzerland: La Roja's unbeaten run continues as Oyarzabal proves decisive

Spain stretched their unbeaten run to 15 matches across all competitions as they beat Switzerland 1-0 in Madrid on Saturday to remain in charge of Group A4 in the Nations League.

Luis Enrique's men had impressed without finding the net in their friendly draw with Portugal last time out, but Mikel Oyarzabal – the winger chosen to lead the line against the Swiss – provided the decisive touch in the 14th minute to leave La Roja with seven points from three games.

Although Switzerland threatened first, it was a rare attack in an opening half dominated by Spain, who opened the scoring soon after through Real Sociedad star Oyarzabal's well-taken finish following a defensive mishap by the visitors.

Spain crafted several opportunities to extend their advantage in the second period, and while they were ultimately unsuccessful, the away side's lack of potency in attack meant one goal was enough.

Switzerland should have taken an early lead, but David de Gea did brilliantly to palm Loris Benito's effort around the post after a low cross found its way through to the left wing-back.

Spain capitalised less than two minutes later.

The visitors tried to play their way out from the back but Yann Sommer's pass to Granit Xhaka was poor and exacerbated by the captain's slip, with Mikel Merino subsequently pouncing and nudging to Oyarzabal - back in the team after testing positive for coronavirus antibodies prior to the Portugal game - to convert.

Sommer intervened to good effect just before the half-hour mark, though, producing a vital save after Ferran Torres met Jesus Navas' cross with a towering header.

Spain continued to spurn chances after the interval – Ansu Fati was wasteful twice in quick succession, as he was first thwarted by Nico Elvedi and then somehow failed to turn home from point-blank range with his second opportunity.

Sergio Ramos then led penalty appeals with 22 minutes to go, though they were unsurprisingly unsuccessful as the Spain captain's volley struck an arm from close range.

Switzerland did finally enjoy some pressure in the latter stages, but De Gea remained largely untested.

What does it mean? Spain still not quite convincing in the box

La Roja were not exactly bereft of creativity here – they managed to find their way through the Swiss backline on several occasions, but they were not clinical.

Of their 12 shots, only two were on target, and one of those was of course the goal, which only came about due to haplessness in the visitors' defence.

While Gerard Moreno and Rodrigo Moreno are both fine players in their own right, it seems Luis Enrique still needs to be won over given a winger in Oyarzabal was given the nod in a central role here.

Merino an effective presence

While one La Real star got the winner, another impressed in midfield. Merino was his typical blend of craft and guile here, as he played a couple of key passes (tied for the game high), including an assist, while he also made two tackles, two interceptions and gained possession 14 times, more than anyone else in red.

Sommer pays the price

In the end, Sommer's lapse in concentration in the first half proved decisive as it gifted Spain the lead and it was always going to be tough clawing it back.

What's next?

Spain go to Ukraine on Tuesday in their second of this month's Nations League double-header, while Switzerland face Germany in Cologne the same day.