MATCH REPORT: Brazil 3 Croatia 1
Home hero Neymar struck twice as favourites Brazil opened the 2014 World Cup with victory over Croatia in Group A.
The Barcelona striker, 22, took his tally for his country to 33 to help them recover from the shock of conceding the first goal of the tournament – a Marcelo own goal on 11 minutes.
Chelsea midfielder Oscar rounded off the scoring in injury time to send the majority of the Sao Paulo crowd into raptures.
Croatia started the brighter and had the first sight at goal, with the hosts suffering from stage fright.
Ivica Olic out-jumped Dani Alves at the back post to meet Ivan Perisic's deep cross but his header bounced just wide of Julio Cesar's right post as gasps circled around the Arena de Sao Paulo.
Gasps turned to silence moments later as Marcelo opened the World Cup scoring with an own goal.
Olic was again involved down the left and his low cross was mishit by Nikica Jelavic – but the Hull City striker's slight deflection only served to leave Marcelo wrong-footed and red-faced from six yards.
Brazil flittered back into life midway through the first half, Tottenham's Paulinho tested Stipe Pletikosa before the Croatia keeper superbly kept out a rasping Oscar effort from 25 yards.
Neymar, tipped to leave his mark on this World Cup, certainly left one on Luka Modric with an elbow to the Real Madrid midfielder's face – Barcelona's boy wonder escaped with a booking.
However on 29 minutes the 22-year-old announced himself for the right reasons. Driving from a central position, he actually scuffed his low left-footed effort but it hit the base of Pletikosa's post before creeping in.
The Selecao started to find their rhythm but, a couple of wild Hulk shots aside, they rarely threatened to take the lead before the break.
It was a similar story at the start of the second half until Dejan Lovren was adjudged to have pulled back Fred in the area.
There appeared to be very minimal contact from the Southampton defender but, in any case, Neymar stepped up covert from the spot on 71 minutes – although Pletikosa almost kept it out.
Typically, David Luiz almost converted into his own net before going close at the right end moments later but Croatia threatened to spoil the party.
The impressive Perisic had a goal, controversially disallowed before Luka Modric tested Cesar with a fierce drive in one of a number of late chances for Niko Kovac's side.
However, Oscar toe-poked past Pletikosa which handed the hosts a winning, if not wondrous, start to the World Cup.
Brazil: (4-3-2-1): César, Alves, Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Gustavo, Paulinho (Hernanes 63), Neymar (Ramires 88), Oscar, Hulk (Bernard 68), Fred. Subs not used: Jefferson, Fernandinho, Dante, Maxwell, Henrique, Willian, Jô, Victor, Maicon
Goals: Neymar 29, (pen) 71, Oscar 90+1
Croatia: (4-2-3-1): Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Kovacic (Brozovic 61), Olic, Jelavic (Rebic 78) Subs not used: Pranjic, Vukojevic, Zelenika, Schildenfeld, Badelj, Campos, Vida, Eduardo, Subasic.
Goal: Marcelo og 11.
Referee: Yuichi Nishimura.
Attendance: 62,103.
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