Brazil beat Croatia, Peru win in World Cup warm-up

Spain draw with Switzerland

FE Team | Published: June 04, 2018 22:07:23

Brazil's striker Neymar celebrating after scoring the opening goal of the International friendly football match between Brazil and Croatia at Anfield in Liverpool on Monday — AFP

LIVERPOOL, June 04 (Agencies): Brazil star Neymar made a stunning return from injury with a superb goal in their 2-0 friendly victory over Croatia on Sunday.
Just 98 days after suffering an injury he feared would keep him out of the upcoming World Cup in Russia, Neymar was back with a bang at Anfield.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward appeared as a half-time replacement for Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho as the Selecao stepped up their World Cup preparations.
Meanwhile, Peru captain Paolo Guerrero scored twice in a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia in a World Cup warm-up Sunday on his comeback, three days after a Swiss supreme court ruling put his doping ban on hold.
Guerrero looked every bit the inspirational leader Peru campaigned to clear for action at its first World Cup appearance in 36 years.
Peru already led 1-0 when Guerrero followed up to score from close range in the 41st minute after an initial shot was saved.
Guerrero's header from Andre Carrillo's cross in the 64th brought more adulation from a partisan Peruvian crowd in neutral St. Gallen, Switzerland, near both teams' training camps.
Carrillo opened the scoring with a stunning left-foot volley in the 20th.
In another match, Spain couldn't manage more than a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in its final match before traveling to Russia for the World Cup.