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Brazil 2 Serbia 0 – World Cup LIVE RESULT: Richarlison with both goals as incredible acrobatic volley seals victory

BRAZIL won their World Cup clash with Serbia thanks to two second-half goals from Richarlison.

The Brazilians dominated throughout but struggled to put a dent into their European opponents until Richarlison tapped home from Vincius Jr's saved effort.

And Richarlison doubled his side's lead minutes later with an incredible acrobatic effort, wrapping up an important three points.

  • RESULT: Brazil 2-0 Serbia
  • Brazil XI: Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Sandro; Casemiro, Paqueta; Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius; Richarlison
  • Serbia XI: Vanja; Veljkovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Lukic, Gudelj, Mladenovic; Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic; Mitrovic

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  • Selecao top of the pops

    Brazil sit on top of Group G on goal difference from Switzerland who they will play in their next game on Monday.

    Serbia will have the chance to make amends for tonight as they take on Cameroon and will need to take all three points to have any hope of making the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.

    Kicking off before Brazil take on Switzerland on Monday, both sides will have a chance to make some changes to the group table and put pressure on their rivals.

  • Tottenham star sweeps Serbia aside

    Richarlison continued his golden-touch in front of goal when wearing the famous yellow shirt of Brazil.

    The Spurs attacker has scored 17 goals in 38 games for his country.

    His heat map shows how much he linked up play before getting in the important areas to grab his goals.

  • Fans celebrate in true Samba style

    Brazilian fans celebrated their opening group game victory over Serbia on the beaches back home.

    Richarlison's spectacular second goal sending the fans into raptures.

    They will be hoping their side can end their 20-year wait for World Cup glory.

  • Inside the ground - full time analysis

    Sun reporter Phil Thomas gives his thoughts on the game:

    APPARENTLY Brazil have worked on ten choreographed dance routines to celebrate their World Cup goals.

    Well if Richarlison carries on like this, they’ll need to rehears a few more before the end of the group stages, never mind the knockout ones.

    The man who can’t get a start at Spurs showed exactly why it is he, not Neymar, who is the golden boy of Brazil to so many with an opening-game double.

    When you consider Neymar, Vinicious junior – remember him, Liverpool fans? – and Raphinha could have finished with at least a couple apiece, you’ll get an indication of how the favourites were frankly in a league of their own.

    If the Jolly Green Giant, AKA Serbia’s colossal keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, hadn’t been in the form of his life, they would probably have reached double figures already.

    As it is, that brace from Richarlison will do very nicely for starters. The celebrations may have been a long way off a ten from Len, but they’ll have them off pat before long, believe me.

    To every Premier League fan, of course, it is Neymar who is the heart of this most famous of footballing nation’s team. The reality, though, is totally different.

    It is Richarlison’s attitude, Richarlison’s influence and - most of all – Richarlison’s finishing which make HIM the focal point of things.

    And it is that last point which showed his dream of beating Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane’s Golden Boot-winning haul of six from Russia 2018 may soon become a reality.

    What a contrast, incidentally, to the two opening fixtures for the two Spurs pals.

    Kane, for all England struck six in whipping Iran, drew a blank and ended up needing a scan that gave the whole country a scare.

    Richarlison gave a masterclass in both old school poaching and flying finishing for the cameras with his Serbia-stuffing pair as well.

    The first was cruel luck on Vanja because it came after the keeper had produced yet another magnificent full length block to deny Vini jnr.

    But there was Richarlison, pouncing like a dog on a slice of dropped ham, to prod in the rebound and send this Lusail Stadium crowd into raptures.

    They had been waiting long enough. There were probably an increasing number wondering whether they would actually get to celebrate a goal from their heroes at all, so stubborn was the Serb defiance.

    But you know what they say about London buses and all that? Well clearly the same goals for Brazilian goals.

    Because before we knew it, the Samba stars had doubled their advantage, the points were signed and sealed, if not yet delivered, as the same man pounced again.

    And if his first was anything but the finest example of the beautiful game from the archetypal purveyors of it, then the second most definitely was.

    Again Vini jnr was the provider, with a burst of speed down the left flank that has become his trademark just one game into Brazil’s competition.

    When he prodded the ball into the danger area, RIcharlison’s first touch sent it spinning into the air – and his second was a magnificent overhead volley which arrowed into the corner,

    Nothing that Vanja, even at full length, could do about that. And to be honest, it had to be something special or something point blank to get the better of him here.

    True, the quickfire fist he threw up to stop Neymar’s wickedly delivered corner from curling straight in was routine. Certainly compared to the last of his heroics.

    A chance, incidentally, that was entirely deliberate given half the Brazil team seemed to be practising it at their Al Arabi training base the other day,

    But there was nothing standard about the lightning dart from his line to paw another from the feet of Vinicius after the most delicious of slide rule deliveries from Thiago Silva.

    Mind you, had Raphinha’s finishing been anything like the approach work from his team-mates, this game could have been done and dusted before half time.

    The most glaring of the ex-Leeds man’s misses was a tame half volleyed sidefoot that was nothing like the same class as the one-two with Richarlison that created it.

    And the longer it went on, the more you began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the five-time champions were going to draw a blank – as cruel as it would have been on them.

    Certainly it started to look that way when Alex Sandros finally got one past Vanja only to see his effort thump back off the woodwork,

    Clearly Roberto Carlos isn’t the only full back to pull on the famous yellow shirt who can strike a ball from distance.

    As it is, though, the dam finally cracked. Richarlison made sure of that. Fantastic finishing all round…but boy, those moves still need working on.

  • FT: Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    The referee brings the game to a close.

    Mission accomplished for Brazil.

    Three points was all the aim was for tonight.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    90+6. Vlahovic hits the ground again.

    He has been like Mr Glass from Unbreakable since coming on.

    Gabriel Jesus always has a look on his face like he's seen his girlfriend with another guy.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    90+4. We are just going through the motions here now.

    There is more chance of the reunification of Yugoslavia than seeing three Serbian goals in the next three minutes.

    Job done for Tite's Brazil side.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    90+2. Serbia with a rare counter attack.

    The ball is swung into the box and Alisson comes for it through a sea of players but cannot get a touch to it.

    Serbia cannot make the keeper pay.

    Credit: PA

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    90. Brazil pass and move, making Serbia chase shadows.

    Every pass to a yellow shirt is met with cheers from the crowd.

    We are going to have seven additional minutes for the stoppages we have not had whatsoever in this second half.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    88. Martinelli immediately gets into the action running to the byline and trying to cut the ball back to Antony in the box.

    Serbia manage to cut the ball out with a last-ditch sliding tackle.

    Brazil still seem hungry for more goals.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    86. Well if the score finishes as is, the talk of the evening will be that sublime finish for Richarlison's second goal.

    True Brazilian swagger that finish.

    Serbia look like Derek Chisora in about round 8 of most of his fights.

    You start thinking to yourself....someone should be stopping this.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    84. Mitrovic comes off for Serbia as they look to rest him as he has been struggling with an ankle injury.

    This game is all but over for Serbia now.

    They probably did not come into this game realistically expecting to get three points from the game.

    Brazil have looked a different team in this second half.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia - Casemiro chance

    82. The ball runs into the path of Casemiro outside of the box.

    He looks to pass one into the top corner only to see the ball thunder back off the crossbar.

    Serbia have some tired legs now and the South Americans are taking advantage of this.

    Credit: Reuters

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    80. Amazingly, Gabriel Jesus has scored one goal in his last 17 appearance for his country.

    Nice to see him taking his club form into international duties.

    Antony comes on for Neymar.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    78. Rodrygo is now playing down the left having come on for Vinicius Junior whose work for the evening was done with two assists.

    Nothing changes as the winger looks to run at the Serbian backline.

    Richarlison comes off for Gabriel Jesus.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    76. We will be seeing that goal some more times for sure.

    Such an instinctive finish by the Tottenham man.

    That second goal seems to have knocked the wind out of Serbia.

  • Brazil 2-0 Serbia

    74. What a goal by Richarlison!

    Vinicius Junior finds him in the the box, his first touch causes the ball to go in the air, where he spins and volleys the ball into the back of the net.

    This guy seems a different player in a Brazil shirt.

    Credit: Getty

  • Goal - Richarlison (Brazil)

  • Brazil 1-0 Serbia

    72. Brazil may lose some of their 'fear factor' with this performance this evening.

    It has not been the total football we were expecting to see.

    There is no denying the talent in the squad but application seems to be lacking in this opening game.

  • Brazil 1-0 Serbia

    70. Serbia need to try and attack more if they want to get anything from this game now.

    They seemed content at times to take the draw.

    Richarlison's goal has changed all of that now.

  • Brazil 1-0 Serbia

    68. As Serbia push forward it gives Brazil the chance to counter.

    The ball is with Neymar as he runs through with them having a player overload.

    He looks to feed it Vinicius Junior who looks to shoot but he strikes the ball against his standing leg and it goes harmlessly wide.

  • Brazil 1-0 Serbia

    66. The goal has woken up the South American fans.

    We thought we were heading for the tournament's fifth 0-0 draw.

    Serbia bring on Vlahovic and Lazovic to try and find a goal.

    Credit: Getty

  • Brazil 1-0 Serbia

    64. Neymar takes the ball into the box, trying to find an angle to shoot himself.

    Vinicius Junior takes it off him, whipping a shot at goal with his right foot.

    Milinkovic-Savic saves well but Richarlison is there to tap in the rebound for Tite's side.

  • Goal - Richarlison (Brazil)

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