BRAZIL THRASHES PANAMA TO BOOST WORLD CUP MOMENTUM.

Brazil continued their preparations for the FIFA World Cup in emphatic fashion,
cruising to a 6-2 victory over Panama in Rio de Janeiro.

Vinicius Junior set the tone inside the opening minute, capitalising on a midfield
mistake before firing home from distance.

Panama responded through a fortunate equaliser that deflected past Alisson, but
Brazil regained control before the break when Casemiro headed home from another
Vinicius effort.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side took complete command after halftime despite making
wholesale changes.

Rayan scored his first senior international goal before Lucas Paqueta added a fourth
with the help of a deflection.

Panama’s problems deepened when Igor Thiago converted a penalty after being
brought down in the box, and Danilo Santos completed the rout with a composed
finish following a clever Paqueta pass.

Carlos Harvey pulled one back with a stunning long-range strike late on, but it did
little to spoil another dominant Brazilian display.

The victory extends Brazil’s strong build-up to the World Cup, with Ancelotti’s side
now turning their attention to a final warm-up match against Egypt before their
tournament opener against Morocco.