Two penalty goals from Raphinha, along with late strikes from Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique, propelled Brazil to a convincing 4-0 victory over Peru on Tuesday, reinforcing their hold on the fourth spot in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings.
Brazil now shares 16 points with Uruguay, which occupies the third position due to a superior goal difference. The team trails the leaders Argentina by six points and is three points behind second-placed Colombia.
Peru finds itself second from the bottom in the standings, with only six points, sitting seven points adrift of last-placed Paraguay.
From the outset, Brazil asserted its dominance, with Raphinha putting them ahead in the 38th minute after being awarded a penalty when Peru defender Carlos Zambrano was called for a handball.
The Brazilian squad continued to apply pressure in the second half, determined to increase their lead. Their efforts paid off when the referee awarded another penalty in the 54th minute after Zambrano fouled Savinho in the box, allowing Raphinha to convert once more.
In the 71st minute, Andreas Pereira scored Brazil’s third with a stunning half-volley inside the box, aided by a pass from Luiz Henrique.
Just three minutes later, Luiz Henrique added his name to the scoresheet, sealing Brazil’s fourth goal.
Brazil maintained their offensive momentum until the final whistle, nearly securing a fifth goal in the dying moments of the match, but Andreas Pereira’s free-kick sailed over the bar.