World Cup 2018: Functional Brazil beat Serbia with enough magic in Philippe Coutinho and Neymar to be feared

Serbia 0-2 Brazil: Goals from Paulinho and Thiago Silva ensured Brazil did not suffer the same fate as the reigning champions Germany earlier in the day

This might not be the Brazil that you expect but this is a Brazil that can win the World Cup.

A 2-0 win over Serbia is not the evidence of that, it is merely that latest exhibit in an evermore compelling case. The goals on the night were scored by those that do the grunt work, Paulinho and Thiago Silva, but both were made by the magical pair of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, who look capable of just about anything.

In a tournament where all 32 teams have shown their flaws as well as their virtues, Tite’s Brazil have improved in each game and look like a team whose strengths far outnumber their problems. Unlike some other contenders the coach himself is one of those strengths, having created a team that was never going to annihilate minnows but that would be ready to stand toe-to-toe with their European challengers for the biggest prize.

The time for that is nearly here. The first of the European elite they can come across is England or Belgium in the quarter-finals, with Mexico awaiting them first , and it is those sides who will fear Brazil rather than the other way around.

The bottom half of the World Cup draw got easier with Germany’s elimination earlier on Wednesday afternoon, their demise prompting celebrations from Brazilians both at the Spartak Stadium and back home with those wounds from the 7-1 mostly healed but the scars still very much visible. The concern was, of course, that such schadenfreude could turn to hubris with Serbia needing a win and the Selecão not yet having secured a second-round berth. A draw was needed but for nerves, and to top the group, a win preferred.

This Brazil team is not pure magic but there enough wizards in there to give you the dazzle and spark you expect from those bright yellow shirts. Between the bewitching triangle of Coutinho, Neymar and Gabriel Jesus it felt that wherever the ball, whatever the moment, Serbia were never more than five seconds away from being carved in two despite themselves enjoying encouraging periods of dominance – mainly physically, but also in terms of possession.

Of course, it would not be Brazil if they did not leave holes. Marcelo’s injury (back spasms) and early substitution plugged the usual one behind his marauding runs as the more defensively sound Filipe Luis replaced him but it was in midfield where the gaps truly opened up.

Miranda gets his head to the ball (AFP/Getty Images)

Tite enjoyed much success with his 4-2-3-1 system at Corinthians and that shape suits his personnel fairly well at international level too but this trio of attacking midfielders, as sublimely talented as they are, leave Casemiro and Paulinho holding the baby far more often than the under-siege pairing are comfortable with. Against a muscular, active Serbian team that flooded this area it became a cause for concern with Brazil losing control of the game for periods at a time.

Control might be overrated, though. Especially so when you have players that thrive in the to-and-fro of the transitions. Neymar and Coutinho were at the centre of everything good Brazil did and they positively oozed creativity and ideas, fashioning chances almost at will by the end.

While most of the duo’s best work comes close to goal, perhaps their two best moments of the first 45 minutes were each passes made from inside their own half, dropping deep to help out as Serbia began to push on. First, Neymar’s whipped 50-yard through ball set Jesus through only for his one-on-one to be saved as the angle gave up on him. Then Coutinho’s stunning parabola of a pass for Paulinho was so exquisite it opened the scoring and handed Brazil control of Group E.

As much as that vibrant attacking duo look dangerous during fractured game scripts and galloping into green grass, the stress they put on scrambling defences is not decisive unless help arrives from deep – and there are few better at that role than Paulinho. Things never worked out for the midfielder at Tottenham but at Barcelona this season he has been a revelation, stuffing medals in the mouths of those who guffawed at his price tag and again, here, he was the man who arrived at the perfect time to score

Marcelo left the game early in the first half (AFP/Getty Images)

Coutinho’s pass itself was so brilliant that from the moment he struck it, weighted sublimely to meet with Paulinho’s ranging strides, the Barca man had time to look at goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic and judge his position before choosing to knock it over him for 1-0.

Under Tite, his former boss at Corinthians, only Neymar and Jesus have more Brazil goals than Paulinho. He may not be the traditional central midfielder that people associate with the red-and-blue shirt he wears most weeks or the yellow one he is wearing in Russia but he is the image of his coach in being effective and productive with minimal fuss. His well-timed raids on the penalty area will continue to be a concern for any opponent Brazil faces.

The 29 year-old would have to curb his buccaneering instincts as the game wore on and Serbia pushed for their goals. Their World Cup was over without a win and they were not going to go down without a fight.

With Neymar making every touch seem like an assassination attempt the Serbians could not make it into a physical battle but they could continue to outnumber Brazil in the areas they were weak, surrounding Casemiro and targeting Fagner, the right-back who celebrated his call-up to the squad like a reality TV contest winner and, at times, played like one too.

Paulinho poked Brazil in front (AFP/Getty Images)

But with those attacks came space and in Neymar they had the perfect man to exploit them. The Paris Saint-Germain star had to make do with a corner from one such hair-raising counter but from the resultant set-piece, his cross found Thiago Silva at the near post and Stojkovic was nowhere as the ball bulged the net and Brazil sealed top spot.

The scoreline won’t look impressive on paper and the authors of those goals don’t suggest liquid football but that doesn’t matter.

After seeing the Selecão vanquished by Germany four years ago, the only thing that matters in Brazil is reminding the world that they are the five-time world champions and ready to add a sixth for good measure. Organised, pragmatic and ready to take on European football’s superpowers, they are in good shape to go close.