World Cup qualifiers: Brazil beat Colombia

Brazil’s march towards the 2018 World Cup gathered pace on Tuesday with a Neymar-inspired win over Colombia as Uruguay surged to the top of the South American qualification standings with a 4-0 rout of Paraguay.

Just four days after their first ever victory over Ecuador in Quito, Brazil dug deep to beat Colombia 2-1 in the Amazon jungle city of Manaus courtesy of Neymar’s 74th-minute winner.

The result left Brazil — who had started the day outside the automatic qualifying places — in second place overall, just one point behind leaders Uruguay.

Argentina, who squandered the opportunity to maintain their lead after a 2-2 draw away to Venezuela, are third, trailing Brazil on goal difference with the two heavyweight rivals level on 15 points.

Brazil’s win over Colombia was the latest in a series of physical encounters between the two teams, who have skirmished regularly since the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals — a match that saw Neymar exit with a tournament ending injury.

Neymar, who was sent off against Colombia in a bruising Copa America battle in 2015, exacted his revenge with a sweetly struck low shot to decide Tuesday’s game.