Brazil enjoyed an impressive World Cup warm-up with a comfortable 3-0 victory over tournament hosts Russia in Moscow.
After a batting first half display from Russia, Brazil broke them down in the second half with a 13-minute blitz that yielded the three goals from Miranda, Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho.
It was a welcome win for the five-time World Cup winners at the Luzhniki Stadium – the same ground that will host this year’s final in July.
Brazil certainly showed they have enough talent, even without the injured Neymar, to be back in Moscow at the end of the World Cup.
- Germany - 9/2
- Brazil - 5/1
- France - 11/2
- Spain - 7/1
Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus also continued his recovery from a knee injury as he played 65 minutes before being replaced by Liverpool's Roberto Firmino.
Russia open the World Cup against Saudi Arabia on June 14 and will need to improve to offer the home support anything to shout about on the eveidence of their display against Brazil.
Turkey 1-0 Rep of Ireland
Mehmet Topal's sweetly-struck volley condemned a new-look Republic of Ireland side to friendly defeat in Turkey.
O'Neill handed senior debuts to Declan Rice, Scott Hogan and substitute Matt Doherty and first starts to Alan Browne and Sean Maguire in Antalya, but it was Fenerbahce midfielder Topal who ultimately won the day with a 52nd-minute strike to clinch a 1-0 win.
With the Republic trialling a 3-5-2 system, they were largely overrun in central midfield to leave Hogan, Maguire and later Shane Long starved of meaningful possession.
However, there were positives with Rice turning in an assured performance on the left side of the defensive trio and later in midfield, and skipper Seamus Coleman getting 62 minutes under his belt a day short of a year since he suffered a horrific double leg fracture on international duty.
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