Brazil 2-0 Mexico: World Cup favourites book quarter-final place

17:17 · MON July 02, 2018

Brazil are now 3/1 to win the World Cup after beating Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 in Samara.

Second-half goals gave the tournament favourites the victory over Juan Carlos Osorio's side, with Neymar opening the scoring with a close-range finish before setting Roberto Firmino up for the Selecao's second late on.

Online bookmaker Sky Bet have boosted Brazil's price to 3/1 following their victory, with fellow quarter-finalists France second favourites at 4/1, Belgium, England and Croatia 6/1 and Uruguay 14/1.

The world's most expensive player opened the scoring six minutes into the second half after excellent approach play by Willian, the Paris Saint-Germain forward's sixth goal in World Cup history.

Substitute Firmino wrapped up the win with a simple last-minute finish as Tite's side advanced to their seventh straight World Cup quarter-final, where they will face either Japan or Belgium in Kazan on Friday night.

GOAL VIDEOS

Brazil 1-0 Mexico: Neymar - 51'

GOAL! A one-two made in Brazil. Neymar backheels to Willian who drives into the box before laying it on a plate for Neymar at the back post from close range pic.twitter.com/joILjQClU3
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 2, 2018

Brazil 2-0 Mexico: Roberto Firmino - 88'

GOAL! Neymar is played in by Fernandinho, he puts on the afterburners and prods across goal for Firmino to tap into an empty net pic.twitter.com/Ahz6pLMAq5
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 2, 2018

Opta match statistics

Brazil have won eight of their nine World cup matches against CONCACAF nations (D1), conceding in just one of those matches (5-2 vs Costa Rica in 2002).
Since the introduction of the round of 16 in 1986, Mexico have been eliminated at this stage of the World Cup seven times – more than twice as many as any other nation.
Brazil have now scored more World Cup goals than any other side in the history of the competition (228, two more than Germany).
Roberto Firmino scored just two minutes and four seconds after coming on as a substitute for Brazil, the second fastest sub goal so far at the 2018 World Cup.
Brazil’s Neymar scored his sixth World Cup goal with his 38th shot. It took Cristiano Ronaldo 74 shots and Lionel Messi 67 to reach six goals in the competition.
Neymar has been involved in 20 goals in his last 19 games in all competitions for Brazil, scoring 11 and assisting nine.

Odds correct at 1650 BST on 02/07/18