Neymar, Brazil Win Group E with Victory vs. Serbia at 2018 World Cup

Brazil beat Serbia 2-0 on Wednesday at the 2018 FIFA World Cup thanks to goals from Paulinho and Thiago Silva.

The result means Brazil qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament as Group E winners, while Serbia finish third and are eliminated.

No Marcelo, No Problem for Brazil

Brazil left-back Marcelo lasted just 10 minutes before having to be replaced due to injury. The Real Madrid man suffered a back problem, per Indy Football:

Marcelo is widely considered to be the best left-back in European football. He is a crucial part of the Brazil team, and the attacking threat he offers down the left flank is a feature of his play.

Filipe Luis replaced him, and the Atletico Madrid man ensured that Marcelo, for all his qualities, was not missed.

Selecao Brasileira was full of praise for the defender:

His performance was even more impressive given he suffered a broken leg in March that was expected to rule him out of the World Cup. He returned to action in May for Atletico Madrid, and his appearance on Wednesday was the 32-year-old's first at a World Cup.

It remains to be seen how long Marcelo will be out for, but if he is set to miss further games, Brazil have a top-quality replacement in Luis.

Firmino Needs to Start Ahead of Gabriel Jesus

Tite began with Gabriel Jesus in attack once again, but the Manchester City man had another tough game in front of goal.

Jesus has a superb goalscoring record at international level but made a mess of the best chance he had and could not find the target.

The striker is yet to score at the World Cup and is under pressure from Roberto Firmino for a place in the starting XI.

His ineffective performances mean Tite must consider the change for their last-16 match against Mexico.

David Maddock at The Mirror argued the Liverpool man deserves a chance:

Firmino came into the tournament in top form, and he had a positive impact when he came on as a substitute against Switzerland and Costa Rica.

His movement, interplay and willingness to press can help unlock defences and add another dimension to the Brazil attack.

Tite can't afford to make mistakes now the group stage is over, but with Jesus struggling, it looks like the right time to hand Firmino a chance.

Neymar Heating Up as Mexico Looms

Neymar put in his best performance of the World Cup so far during Brazil's win over Serbia. The Paris Saint-Germain star was a constant threat, and his corner provided Brazil with their second goal.

Opta showed his record at international level:

The forward seemed fully focused after the first two matches. There was no sign of the selfishness evidenced against Switzerland nor the play-acting on show against Costa Rica.

Instead, Neymar turned on the style and caused Serbia all sorts of problems. Selecao Brasileira highlighted his attacking threat:

Neymar only returned to action after a lengthy injury in Brazil's warm-up games before the World Cup. Tite said before the win over Costa Rica he will need five games to regain full match fitness, per Tom Marshall at ESPN FC.

The 26-year-old showed signs of getting back to his best against Serbia, and his performance will have given Mexico plenty to think about ahead of the teams' last-16 fixtures.

What's Next?

Brazil face Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup on Monday at the Samara Arena. Serbia are back in action in September when they take on Lithuania in the UEFA Nations League.