Brazil may have walked away with a comfortable 4-0 win over India in their historic international friendly in Kolkata, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti had words of praise for the hosts after the match.
The Brazil boss felt India stayed organised, defended well and tried to create chances on the counter.
The Blue Tigers managed to keep Brazil from scoring for the opening 27 minutes at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Estevao finally broke the deadlock in the 28th minute before Pedro doubled Brazil’s lead just before half-time. Samuel Lino then scored twice after the break to complete the win.
Ancelotti praises India’s defensive organisation
Despite the four-goal defeat, Ancelotti was impressed by the way India handled the early stages of the match. The hosts maintained their shape and tried to make things difficult for Brazil, especially before the opening goal.
“India played their part well. They tried to play their game; they defended, they were organised, they tried to play counter-attack. I think that they played a good game.”
The Brazilian coach admitted that his side had to wait before finding a way through India’s defence.
“We had difficulty opening the score, but the moment we opened the score with Estevão, we had more opportunities to control the game better.”
Brazil took control after opening goal
Once Estevao found the net, Brazil began to find more space and control possession. Pedro made it 2-0 before the break, while Lino added two goals in the second half to seal the result.
Ancelotti also felt the contest was useful for both teams and praised the intensity shown during the evening.
“We feel good. It was a good experience. I think it was a good game, entertaining, with good intensity, and India did their part.”
India had their moments after the break, with Manvir Singh and Ryan Williams creating opportunities. However, Brazil’s quality eventually proved too strong for the Blue Tigers.
Ancelotti happy with Brazil’s clean sheet
While pleased with the result, Ancelotti admitted that Brazil still have areas to improve. The coach was particularly satisfied that his team did not concede a goal but pointed out that the defence can become better.
“I think we defended well. We could have defended better if we had a couple of chances in the counter-attack, but I think for us it’s important not to concede a goal.”
Brazil were also using the match as an opportunity to give valuable minutes to several younger players. Ancelotti had made changes to his squad during the international window as he continues to assess his options for the future.
“Obviously we have to improve some mechanisms in defence, but we had a new defence that never played together, so maybe not everything was perfect.”
India gain valuable experience against Brazil
For India, the result was a heavy defeat, but the match provided a rare opportunity to test themselves against one of football’s biggest teams. Khalid Jamil’s side stayed competitive during the opening phase before Brazil’s quality began to show.
The 4-0 result ended India’s historic first meeting with Brazil, but Ancelotti’s assessment offered some encouragement to the hosts after a night of valuable international experience.