Lyon attacker Lucas Paqueta sent the defending champions Brazil into the Copa America final thanks to his first half winner against Peru at the Nilton Santos Stadium.
Paqueta has now scored three goals in 2021 for his country and has rapidly become one of Brazil’s most sought after and important players.
Once again, however, it was captain and superstar Neymar who made the difference in the buildup to the goal. The Paris Saint-Germain star beat three defenders with his usual Neymar-esque flair down the left, before crossing for Paqueta to notch home the game’s only goal.
The PSG forward Neymar was the brightest spark throughout the game for Brazil as they once again narrowly edged Peru.
The Brazilian’s did meet Peru in the 2019 Copa America final where they also beat them to lift the trophy for what was the ninth time.
Early on, Peru were under great threat but they did, however, hold their own. The Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made an excellent double save from yards out to deny Neymar, who surely thought he had scored, only for Everton forward Richarlison to also be denied from close distance too.
However, it was Neymar's usual trickery that found Lyon attacker Paqueta with an expertly taken pass, and Paqueta finally beat Gallese to score the game’s decisive goal in the 34th minute.
Peru did not shut down after this, however, and they pressed and pressed for a second half equaliser. Benevento striker Gianluca Lapadula tested the Brazilian keeper Ederson with an excellent effort on goal, but it was comfortable in the end for the Manchester City keeper - this was their best effort.
In the end, it was relatively easy for Brazil, who managed to keep 58% of the ball and produce 15 shots compared to Peru’s seven, with the likes of Fred once again controlling the game.
Brazil, who are already the defending champions of the Copa America, have also won this South American tournament every single time they have hosted it and they have now kept up this fantastic record of reaching the final each time.
It hasn’t been the most eye-catching of Copa America tournaments with not many goals being shared across the continent this time around. However, with Brazil in the final now, it’s set to be an enticing battle for either Argentina or Colombia who meet in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
As imagens da vitória que garantiu a #SeleçãoBrasileira na final da CONMEBOL @CopaAmerica. Vamos pra cima em busca do título!
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