Following a draw with Switzerland in the opening match, Brazil were under pressure, and they responded by snatching three points from Costa Rica - 2:0.

However, Brazil’s game again was unconvincing and raised questions, as the five-time world champions struggled to score until very late in the game.

Costa Rica fought hard and would have settled for a draw, but Philippe Coutinho opened the score in the 91th minute before Neymar doubled Brazil’s lead in the 97th.

Tite’s team dominated throughout the match, but they lacked efficiency, so Costa Rica’s star goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who showed a good performance, was close to getting a clean sheet.

There was a controversial moment in the 78’s minute, when the referee Bjorn Kuipers awarded a penalty for Brazil for an alleged foul on Neymar, but after consulting the VAR he watched the video and cancelled his initial decision.

In any case, the South American side have now three points, which bring them closer to a Last 16 spot. Costa Rica, who were a sensational quarter-finalist in 2014, are already eliminated after losing both group matches.