{"id":412694,"date":"2018-03-24T14:49:41","date_gmt":"2018-03-24T14:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=412694"},"modified":"2018-03-24T14:49:41","modified_gmt":"2018-03-24T14:49:41","slug":"coutinho-scores-brazil-thrash-world-cup-hosts-russia-friendly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/03\/coutinho-scores-brazil-thrash-world-cup-hosts-russia-friendly\/","title":{"rendered":"Coutinho scores as Brazil thrash World Cup hosts Russia in friendly"},"content":{"rendered":"
Brazil scored three goals in 13 minutes to ease past World Cup hosts Russia in a friendly in Moscow.<\/p>\n
After a goalless first half, Miranda opened the scoring at the Luzhniki Stadium, which will host seven matches at this summer’s tournament including the final.<\/p>\n
Philippe Coutinho scored a penalty for Brazil’s second before Paulinho headed in a third from close range.<\/p>\n
Five-time world champions Brazil are now unbeaten in eight games.<\/p>\n
They showed no sign of missing Paris St-Germain forward Neymar, who faces a race against time to be fit for this summer’s tournament after\u00a0undergoing surgery\u00a0on an injured right foot.<\/p>\n
Brazil dominated the first half but it wasn’t until after the break that they broke the deadlock, when Inter Milan defender Miranda slotted home a rebound after Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev made a good save.<\/p>\n
Paulinho was pulled down in the penalty area by Aleksandr Golovin, with Barcelona team-mate Coutinho coolly scoring the spot-kick for his ninth international goal.<\/p>\n
Midfielder Paulinho then found himself unmarked to head home Willian’s cross.<\/p>\n
Brazil’s next friendly is against Germany on Tuesday in Berlin, while Russia face France in St Petersburg.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC Sport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brazil scored three goals in 13 minutes to ease past World Cup hosts Russia in a friendly in Moscow. After a goalless first half, Miranda opened the scoring at the Luzhniki Stadium, which will host seven matches at this summer’s tournament including the final. Philippe Coutinho scored a penalty for Brazil’s second before Paulinho headed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":412695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[2901,910],"yoast_head":"\n