TIL Desk Sports/ Brazil thrashed Uruguay to move to the brink of the World Cup finals as Lionel Messi got Argentina’s faltering qualification campaign back on track with the only goal to sink Chile. A superb hat-trick from China-based midfielder Paulinho powered Brazil to a 4-1 drubbing of the Uruguayans in Montevideo to leave the five-time world champions all-but-certain of a place at next year’s finals in Russia.
The Brazilians now lead the 10-team round-robin competition by seven points after their latest win. The top four teams in the standings qualify automatically and with only five rounds remaining, it would take a freakish set of results to deny Brazil. Uruguay had taken the lead after only nine minutes when Brazil goalkeeper Alisson brought down Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani for a penalty.
Cavani got to his feet and drilled the spot-kick beyond the Brazilian goalkeeper to put Uruguay 1-0 up. But Paulinho produced a thunderbolt 10 minutes later, uncorking a screamer into the top corner from 25 yards to level at 1-1. The midfielder then stabbed home Philippe Coutinho’s shot in the 51st minute to make it 2-1. Barcelona superstar Neymar added a third with a sublime chip in the 75th minute to effectively settle the contest.
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