Brazil survive like Real Madrid in Ancelotti thriller

Carlo Ancelotti has spent weeks insisting that resilience, not flair alone, will decide a long and demanding World Cup. Brazil's dramatic 2-1 victory over Japan suggested his message has already taken hold.

For much of the contest, Brazil appeared in control before inviting trouble through avoidable mistakes. Yet, just as extra time loomed, they found a decisive late winner — a script that felt strikingly familiar from Ancelotti's most memorable triumphs with Real Madrid.

The Italian built a reputation in Madrid for guiding teams that refused to surrender. His sides were not always flawless, but they possessed an unwavering belief that no match was lost until the final whistle.

That quality carried Real Madrid through extraordinary Champions League comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City in 2022. They thrived amid chaos, surviving seemingly hopeless situations through composure, conviction and relentless belief.

Against Japan, Brazil displayed the same blend of dominance and vulnerability.

The five-time world champions controlled possession for long spells but were undone by familiar defensive lapses. Veteran defender Danilo, now operating as a centre-back, gifted possession with a misplaced pass while trying to build from the back.

Casemiro, another trusted lieutenant from Ancelotti's past, was then outpaced by a Japanese runner, highlighting the limitations that experience alone cannot overcome.

For a period, Brazil looked caught between generations — too accomplished to panic but too vulnerable to feel comfortable.

That is often where Ancelotti's teams are at their strongest.

Rather than seeking sterile control, his best sides have flourished in the emotional, unpredictable moments when matches become scrappy and nerve outweighs aesthetics.

Brazil found their reward with almost the final attack.

Teenager Rayan pressed relentlessly to win possession before feeding Bruno Guimaraes, who quickly released substitute Gabriel Martinelli. The Arsenal forward kept his composure to fire home the winner through a crowded Japanese defence.

The goal was heartbreaking for Japan but potentially transformative for Brazil.

This was far from Brazil's most polished performance, yet World Cups are rarely won by perfection. They are won by teams that survive adversity, recover from their own mistakes and seize the decisive moment when it arrives.

Ancelotti has built a career on that formula. Brazil now appear determined to make it their own.