Excellent Estevao, Gabriel injury worry – the big talking points as Brazil beat Senegal at the Emirates | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil team and the thousands of fans who turned up to back them lit up Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a 2-0 friendly win over Senegal.

Goals from Chelsea wonderkid Estevao and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro proved enough to get the job done against a tough Senegal side, who were more than a match for their opponents.

Brazilian teams of the past have always been associated with the natural flair and skill they possess, and while the current group may lack the superstars on the same level of the past, head coach Ancelotti has blended together youth and experience to produce a hugely exciting team.

Fans of the Selecao turned up in their thousands in what was a packed Emirates of almost 60,000 people, making incredible noise throughout. Senegal also had their fair share of support, raising the decibel level inside the stadium whenever their side got near the opposition goal.

They did so on plenty of occasions, and were unlucky not to score at least one goal, but fell victim to Brazil’s quality in the end.

Estevao, still only 18, has quickly won the trust of his national team boss, starting again on the right wing and showing why he has been able to establish himself so quickly in this Brazil side with a well-taken goal on 28 minutes, firing a curling, first-time strike into the bottom corner.

Casemiro made it two before the break, when Rodrygo clipped an intelligent free-kick over the top of the Senegal defence to find the midfielder, who finished high into the net past Edouard Mendy.

Senegal’s intensity and physicality is exactly the sort of test Ancelotti will want for his side ahead of next year’s World Cup. There are certainly improvements to be made defensively though, and the former Real Madrid boss will no doubt have been disappointed to see his side give up several big chances in a large part due to their own sloppiness at the back.

There will also have been plenty of Gunners supporters in attendance to get their weekend football fix, but a sight they will not have wanted to see is their star defender Gabriel hobbling off just after the hour mark with an injury and, along with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, they will be desperately hoping it is nothing serious.