Brazil 1-0 Switzerland: Sweet Casemiro strike seals win over Swiss as Tite's men get the job done

A fine strike from Man Utd's Casemiro earned Brazil all three points against Switzerland as they progress to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

The Manchester United midfielder struck seven minutes from time to seal the victory for Brazil.

The defeat was a bit harsh for the Swiss, who frustrated the five-time winners for long parts of the group game.

A point from their last game against Serbia would be enough to see them through unless Cameroon pull off a major clash against Brazil on Friday.

In a cautious start, neither side was able to exert any real control in a game played largely in the middle third of the pitch until Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison and Vinicius started to combine in disturbing ways.

Indeed, neither goalkeeper had a noticeable save to make until Yann Sommer had to dive to his right to deflect Vinicius' 27th-minute scuffing shot as he slipped into second pole to meet the center of Raphina.

Raphina fired a curling left-footed shot into Sommer's stomach after crossing the edge of the penalty area four minutes later, with Brazil pressing and the Swiss offering little response.

Thiago Silva had to do his best to prevent Ruben Vargas from sending Ricardo Rodriguez's ball into the box six minutes before the break, but this deep foray into enemy territory proved rather rare in the first 45 minutes.

West Ham midfielder Paqueta left to be replaced by Real Madrid's Rodrygo at the break, but it was the Swiss who came out of the blocks fastest, with Alex Sandro needing to block a cross from Silvan Widmer and Vinicius , Sow's shot from Djibril before Vargas' 54th-minute attempt was deflected.

Switzerland failed to capitalize after Breel Embolo charged in the clearance from keeper Alisson and Richarlison failed to hit Vinicius' teasing cross as Brazil fought back.

Vinicius thought he had given his side a 64th-minute lead with a cultivated finish after pulling wide past defender Nico Elvedi and drawing Sommer in, but his effort was ruled out for offside against Richarlison earlier in the move following a VAR examination.< /p>

But they took the win with seven minutes remaining when Casemiro brought home a winner through a slight defection on the back of Manuel Akanji after Vinicius and Rodrygo combined to set him up.

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