Colombia score a spectacular golazo but Brazil come back to win

In a game full of drama until the final seconds, Brazil finished on top with a 2-1 win against Colombia to maintain their perfect record after four games in Group B.

Luis Diaz gave Colombia the lead with a incredible, athletic flying volley but Brazil turned it around in the second half with goals from Roberto Firmino and Casemiro.

Brazil dominated possession early and it looked like it might be more of the same but Colombia proved a more difficult opponent to break down and posed considerable threat on the counter in the first half.

In one of the first moments of danger Colombia scored a spectacular goal. Cuadrado whipped a cross to the far post where Luis Diaz fired an overhead kick into the net. At the highest point of his leap he was almost completely upside down, a definite contender for goal of the tournament.

https://twitter.com/CopaAmerica/status/1407855601976168449

The goal gave Colombia confidence and Brazil found it difficult to work a clear opening for the remainder of the half.

After the break the Canarinha started to make better use of their possession but Colombia remained compact and defended effectively with great energy.

Early in the second half Thiago Silva sent an excellent long pass into the box which Neymar met but he failed to generate the required power to beat Ospina.

Ten minutes later halftime substitute Roberto Firmino played an excellent pass to Neymar who evaded the outrushing Ospina but hit the post from a tight angle.

Midway through the second half Ospina was finally beaten by a low Roberto Firmino shot following a cross by Renan Lodi. The goalkeeper got a hand to it but was unable to keep it out.

https://twitter.com/CopaAmerica/status/1407878246268608515

Colombia were unhappy with the referee’s decision in the build up to the goal and they completely lost control of the game. An unfortunate goal to concede but all of the impress discipline they had shown was now gone.

A lapse in concentration ultimately lead to the Brazil winner. Neymar fired a cross into the near post where Casemiro found himself unmarked in a packed area.

https://twitter.com/CopaAmerica/status/1407883925280731143

With this, Tite’s side maintained their perfect start to the Copa America and ensured top spot. Colombia have played all of their games and their 4 points will be enough to progress although in which position is still to be decided.

NUMBERS FROM THE GAME

• Colombia has scored 5 goals against Brazil in the Tite era. No other team has scored as many goals in this period against Brazil.

• Brazil have only lost 2 of their 11 games aginast Brazil at the CONMEBOL Copa América (8 wins, 1 losses). The 2 defeats both came in Chile in 1991 and 2015. Today was the third time the two have met in Brazil and Brazil have never lost (2 wins, 1 draw).

• As well as scoring the first goal Brazil had conceded in 6 games, Colombia is the first team to go in at halftime ahead against the Seleção since Argentina in 2019. On that occasion Argentina held their 1-0 lead while Colombia lost 2-1.

• The Casemiro goal on 99:22 minutes was the second latest in the CONMEBOL Copa América since at least 2011. During this period only Chile have scored later with Arturo Vidal putting one past Bolivia on 99:48 minutes.

• Tite has overtaken Sebastião Lazaroni as the manager with the longest unbeaten streak at the CONMEBOL Copa América with 8. Mario Zagallo is the only boss with a longer undefeated run with 12 games in the competition (10 wins, 2 draws).

DATA: OPTA