Carlo Ancelotti did not get off to the finest of starts as Brazil manager as Ecuador held them to a goalless draw in a World Cup qualifier last night.
The Brazilians struggled to get going, with the team lacking rhythm after only three days of training under the legendary Italian tactician.
However, when they finally started getting forward with a bit more ease, Brazil missed the best chance of the game.
Debutant Estevao Willian was desperate to make something happen and made an exciting foray into the final third before setting up Richarlison, whose shot was blocked.
The rebound dropped to Vinicius Jr, and he failed to add to his tally of six goals for the national team.
Vinicius struggled again, despite Ancelotti claiming he performed well. Meanwhile, Richarlison looked incredibly unfit.
The midfield continues to be a massive headache for Brazil, and Ancelotti will need to reshuffle the pack when they face Paraguay on Wednesday.
Gerson, Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes did not particularly impress in the engine room. Ancelotti may call upon Andrey Santos for something different.
Nevertheless, the defence deserves plaudits for standing strong and limiting Ecuador to wild, long-range efforts.
Lille star Alexsandro Ribeiro had a memorable debut, winning five of his five duels while completing three out of four long balls.
He could become a mainstay in this team, especially with Marquinhos potentially moving to the Saudi Pro League.
As for Ancelotti, he will be under pressure to deliver much-needed three points against third-place Paraguay.
Brazil need to maintain their fourth place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, with Colombia and Uruguay breathing down their necks.
The job of galvanising this team of individual Brazilian stars into a cohesive unit is not easy, but Ancelotti is the right man for the job.
