Gareth Southgate believes "nobody will care about the group stage" if England enjoy a good run in the Euro 2024 knockout stages, starting with Slovakia on Sunday.

Despite topping Group C, England came under fire for their below-par performances in the group stage after edging past Serbia in the opener before playing out draws with Denmark and Slovenia.

First place in the group means the Three Lions avoided the side of the draw including a lot of the favourites, but even that has not raised morale among the fans.

While Southgate accepted the criticism the team received, he was adamant that the real jeopardy of the tournament starts in the round of 16.

"Reality is that nobody will care about the group stage if you get it right? That is the reality, and of course, we have to deliver it," Southgate said in his press conference.

"The fact is you go into a different mental state. Everybody knows that knockout football is jeopardy. Everybody knows that, on a given day, an opponent can make it really tough for you. You know the quality of the opposition left is high and so it changes the mindset.

"It is about 'how far can we go?' We are trying to achieve something exceptional. But it is a step at a time and tomorrow is a chance to improve aspects of our game, to show composure in moments.

"The game will take us in different directions at different moments, and you've got to be able to respond and react in the right way in all of those moments."

If England do beat Slovakia, they will set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland, who knocked out holders Italy with a 2-0 victory earlier on Saturday.

Southgate said he was not thinking that far ahead, but that his side do not fear of what awaits them in the knockout rounds.

"It could be another brilliant night to create more memories for our supporters," he added.

"I have played in a semi-final of a major tournament, and managed in a semi-final and a final. Tomorrow, it's about the team progressing.

"We shouldn't have a fear of losing, it's about opportunity. We are trying to reach for something which is a challenge.

"We have lost matches before, life goes on. At that point, when you can handle the worst, you are free to try and go and win the game."

Switzerland qualified for the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and ended Italy's title defence with a richly deserved 2-0 victory in Berlin, with Ruben Vargas contributing a goal and an assist.

Vargas curled a wonderful shot home from the corner of the penalty area just 27 seconds into the second half, having earlier supplied the cross from which Remo Freuler opened the scoring.

If anything, the scoreline flattered Italy, who produced another miserable performance after barely scraping through Group B with a 99th-minute equaliser in their last game against Croatia.

The result means Spain remain the only team to win back-to-back European Championships (in 2008 and 2012), with Luciano Spalletti's first tournament as Azzurri boss ending in disappointment.

Switzerland, meanwhile, will face either England or Slovakia in just their second European Championship quarter-final in Dusseldorf next Saturday.

Switzerland dominated from the first whistle and should have gone ahead after 24 minutes, Breel Embolo being denied by a one-on-one save from Gianluigi Donnarumma after latching onto Michel Aebischer's lofted pass.

They had their opener after 37 minutes, though, as Freuler's expert run allowed him to take in Vargas' low cross, his first touch sitting up nicely for a volleyed finish which beat Donnarumma at his near post.

Donnarumma prevented Italy from falling further behind before the break, pushing Fabian Rieder's clever free-kick against his post in first-half stoppage time.

Things got worse for the Azzurri in the first minute of the second period, Nicolo Fagioli carelessly losing possession from kick-off and Vargas curling a fine effort into the top-right corner.

Fabian Schar almost let Spalletti's team back in when he comically headed Fagioli's cross against his right post, and the other upright was struck with 16 minutes remaining.

Gianluca Scamacca could only turn his close-range effort against the woodwork as Italy continued to toil in the final third, and Switzerland almost added further gloss late on as substitute Steven Zuber flashed a low drive across the face of goal and wide.

Italy caught cold

As the players re-emerged for the second half and Spalletti hooked Stephan El Shaarawy in favour of Mattia Zaccagni – the man who sent Italy to the last 16 with his last-gasp equaliser against Croatia – Italy's supporters must have expected an upturn.

The Azzurri registered just one shot in the first half – a Federico Chiesa attempt with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.03. The last time they managed fewer efforts in the first half of a match was in a 2-0 friendly loss to Argentina in March 2018 (none).

Those Italian hopes were not realised, however, as the Azzurri conceded possession cheaply before watching Vargas bend home for one of the goals of the tournament.

Coming 27 seconds into the second half, Vargas' strike was the second-quickest ever scored after half-time in a Euros match, after Marcel Coras for Romania versus West Germany in 1984 (21 seconds).

Vargas the star in memorable win

Having seen Switzerland dump pre-tournament favourites France out at the same stage of Euro 2020, also failing to win two head-to-head meetings in 2022 World Cup qualifying, Italy were surely well aware of their opponents' qualities.

They were second-best in every department as Murat Yakin's team produced a polished display, of which Vargas was the star.

The forward – who plays his club football in Germany with Augsburg – became the first Swiss player on record (since 1966) to both score and assist in a knockout match at a major tournament (World Cup/European Championships).

He is the seventh different player to score for the Swiss at Euro 2024, their most goalscorers at any major tournament in their history.

Taylor Fritz became the first man to win three titles at the Eastbourne International on Saturday as he defeated Max Purcell 6-4 6-3 in the final.

Fritz did not drop a single set en route to his eighth ATP title, only losing four points behind his first serve in the showpiece match.

He served brilliantly and was aggressive in reaching the net throughout the title match, earning a decisive break at 5-4 in the opening set.

He then won 12 straight points to seize control of the second set, ultimately needing just 71 minutes to reclaim the crown he previously won in 2019 and 2022. 

Data Debrief: Fritz America's best again

Having triumphed at Delray Beach back in February, Fritz has now won multiple ATP titles within a third straight calendar year.

His victory also ensures he will move up to 12th in next week's world rankings, overtaking Tommy Paul to become American number one once more.

After two long days without any Euro 2024 action, Saturday brought the start of the knockout round.

But aside from the first two last-16 ties taking place in Berlin and Dortmund, there was plenty else going on around the tournament.

From Belgium's Kylian Mbappe gaffe to Anthony Gordon receiving a tongue-in-cheek gift, here is the best of the social media output from Friday and Saturday at Euro 2024.

Belgium backtrack on Mbappe video

France will take on Belgium in perhaps the most high-profile round-of-16 tie on Monday, and the Red Devils' social media accounts have upped the tensions between the neighbours.

A video posted to Belgium's channels showed comedian Pablo Andres, who works extensively with the Belgian Football Federation, asking; "who will kick Mbappe's shin?"

Midfielder Amadou Onana then answers with his own name.

The video was swiftly deleted and was the subject of an apology from spokesperson Stefan van Loock, who said: "The video was intended to be humorous but has since been taken offline. 

"We would like to apologise to anyone we may have offended. This concludes the matter for us."

The video was not received particularly well in France, and on Monday, we will find out whether it provided Mbappe with any additional motivation… not that any is required.

Birthdays and anniversaries in England camp

It was a big day in the England camp on Saturday, and not just because Gareth Southgate's men were put through their paces for the final time ahead of Sunday's clash with Slovakia.

Both Jude Bellingham and Eberechi Eze celebrated their birthdays, the former turning 20 years old and the latter 26.  

Saturday was also a big day for the Three Lions for another reason, though, as it represented the three-year anniversary of their memorable Euro 2020 last-16 victory over Germany.

Harry Kane was on target in that match, his diving header giving England a two-goal cushion and clinching their most famous win of recent years.

A repeat performance on Sunday would certainly be welcome.

Buffon still has it

Italy goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon took up a role as delegation chief with the national team last year, succeeding the late, great Gianluca Vialli.

The Azzurri's touchline representatives always look effortlessly cool, and Luciano Spalletti's Armani suit turned heads during the group stage.

Buffon took the style stakes to a new level when he arrived at the Olympiastadion in the Friday evening sunshine, though. 

Food fights continue 

A bit of friendly back-and-forth between opposing groups of fans helps to make a major tournament special, and throughout the group stage, supporters clashed over food.

Albania fans snapped spaghetti in front of their Italian counterparts in one viral clip, while France's baguettes got similar treatment ahead of one of their matches.

On Saturday, the official Euro 2024 account on X attempted to settle some scores by running through the most popular half-time snacks across the continent.

Gordon gets given stabilisers

England and Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon raised a few eyebrows this week when he was seen with a grazed chin, having fallen off his bike during what was supposed to be a recovery ride.

On Friday, he was presented with a pair of stabilisers by the Daily Mail, which Southgate will hope can prevent any further mishaps.

With England crying out for dynamism on the left flank, the last thing they need is another fall for Gordon.

Records tumble as group stage closes

Finally, Saturday saw UEFA publish a summary of the group stage, which many onlookers believe to have been the most entertaining since the Euros expanded to 24 teams for 2016.

From the Tartan Army's short-lived German adventure to the Netherlands' fans painting host cities Oranje, we have seen plenty of outstanding footage from UEFA's fan zones.

A record number of people, between 430,000 and 440,000, attended the zones through the group stage, while the tournament has also made waves online.

UEFA says the tournament's official social media channels accumulated 145 million engagements and 1.35 billion video views in the group stage – both more than in the entirety of Euro 2020!

Daria Kasatkina beat Leylah Fernandez 6-3 6-4 to win her seventh WTA title, and her first on grass, at the Eastbourne International.

The world number 14, who finished as runner-up to Madison Keys last year, had conquered Emma Raducanu and Jasmine Paolini en route to her fourth final of 2024.

She broke the 2021 US Open runner-up in the very first game and wrapped up the opener with another break in the ninth game, having held off some fierce pressure on her own serve.

Another swift break in the second set had seemingly set up more of the same, but Fernandez fought back from 3-0 down to go 4-3 up. However, the Canadian failed to hold serve again from then on as Kasatkina assumed control, wrapping up her victory in just under two hours.

Elsewhere on Saturday, 20-year-old Diana Shnaider won her second title of 2024 at the Bad Homburg Open, edging out Donna Vekic 6-3 2-6 6-3 in the final.

The Russian's efficiency told in a back-and-forth contest as she converted four of her six break points, becoming the youngest player on the WTA Tour to capture multiple titles this season.

Data Debrief: Kasatkina heads to SW19 in form

Kasatkina is now 6-1 on grass this year and possesses a fine 33-17 record on the surface throughout her career.

Having made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2018, she will be targeting another deep run this year, seeded 14th and drawn to face Zhang Shuai in the first round. 

After Portugal ended the Euro 2024 group stage with a shock 2-0 defeat to Georgia, centre-back Pepe knows more will be required when they face Slovenia in the last 16 on Monday.

That defeat did not stop the Selecao topping Group F and landing a round-of-16 draw against Slovenia, who qualified as one of the best third-placed finishers.

However, they are now on the same side of the knockout bracket as France, Belgium, Germany and Spain, and know they will likely have to beat multiple heavyweights if they are to go all the way.

At their last major tournament, the 2022 World Cup, Portugal set the record for the biggest margin of victory in a last-16 match at the World Cup or Euros, trouncing Switzerland 6-1.

They were, however, beaten 2-0 when they last met Slovenia in a friendly in March, leading Pepe to expect a tough test. 

"Portugal were among the best teams statistically in the group stage," he said. "From the first game here in Germany to the last, the fans have always been with us. 

"We know it's going to be a very difficult game, not least because of our recent history. 

"It's about avoiding making the mistakes we made in that defeat back in March so that we can come out on top.

"We know it's going to be a very difficult journey. It's going to be tough, but we all have to be together."

This will be Slovenia's first-ever match in the knockout stages at a major tournament, and the 26th such match for Portugal. Since their triumphant Euro 2016 campaign, Portugal have lost three of their four knockout matches at major tournaments (one win).

They will once again look to Cristiano Ronaldo to carry the attacking burden, though this is the first major tournament in his career in which he failed to net in the group stage, in his 11th participation overall.

Pepe, however, has told fans not to worry about the form of their captain.

"Cristiano lives for goals, that's a fact. But have you seen his availability on the pitch to help the national team? It's incredible," the 41-year-old said.

"He's the player with the most minutes in our team, at 39 years old.

"He's doing very well. He'll do very well in the final stages of the European Championship. I'm certain he will give us a lot of joy."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo 

Ronaldo has not scored in any of his last seven appearances for Portugal at major tournaments, his longest-ever drought at the World Cup and Euros. He has had 19 shots without netting in those games since scoring versus Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has had 12 shots worth 1.32 expected goals (xG) so far at Euro 2024, twice as many attempts as his nearest rival in the Portugal squad – Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (six).

Nine of his shots have come from inside the box, indicating he is taking up the right positions and is likely to break his goal drought soon. 

He has also created six chances for his team, recording one assist to take the all-time European Championship record outright, with seven in his six participations.

Slovenia – Andraz Sporar

Slovenia have only netted two goals at the tournament thus far, but their strike duo Sporar and Benjamin Sesko have been a handful for defences.

They may both be awaiting their first goal at Euro 2024, but they have registered a combined 12 shots between them (seven for Sporar and five by Sesko).

Five of Sporar's seven efforts have come from inside the area, and he has a total xG figure of 0.98 in his three matches. He has also won 13 duels overall, four of them in the air, demonstrating his willingness to get through plenty of defensive work.

MATCH PREDICTION: PORTUGAL WIN

The Opta supercomputer has given Portugal a 76% chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. Ahead of the first set of knockout fixtures, only England and Spain (both 82%) were seen as more likely qualifiers.

Despite their slip-up against Georgia, which came with a much-changed starting lineup, Portugal ranked second for both possession share (67%) and total shots (53) in the group stage, behind Germany (69%, 57 shots).

Their defeat on matchday three halted a run of 12 consecutive wins in competitive action. However, they have not lost back-to-back competitive matches since Euro 2008, when they lost 0-2 to Switzerland in the group stage and 2-3 versus Germany in the quarter-finals.

Another player to watch in Selecao colours could be Vitinha, who leads all of his team-mates for line-breaking passes (29) at this tournament. 

His pass completion rate under high pressure is also the highest of any player for his country (90% - minimum 50 attempted). 

The Paris Saint-Germain man is brimming with confidence and his quality could be key against a Slovenia side likely to dig in, just as they did in group-stage draws with Denmark and England.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Portugal - 67%

Slovenia - 19.6%

Draw - 13.4%

France should hold no fear ahead of facing Belgium in the round of 16 at Euro 2024, according to Christophe Dugarry.

Les Bleus, who were among the favourites prior to the tournament in Germany, finished second behind Austria in Group D after some unconvincing performances.

Indeed, their goals came from a Maximilian Wober own goal and a Kylian Mbappe penalty, with France landing themselves in the tougher half of the draw along with Spain, Portugal, hosts Germany and last-16 opponents Belgium, who they play on Monday in Dusseldorf.

That has seen their chances of winning the trophy slip down to 13%, according to Opta's supercomputer, but looking ahead to Monday's clash with Belgium, Duggary, who won the World Cup in 1998 and Euros in 2000, feels France have nothing to fear.

"Of course, they have individuals, but I don't see why we should be afraid," Duggary said in his role as a pundit on Rothen s'ignee on RMC.

"If we are not capable of beating these Belgians, we [will do] nothing at the European Championship."

Dugarry pointed to Belgium's weak defence as a reason for France to be confident.

"[Timothy] Castagne, [Wout] Faes, [Jan] Vertonghen who is 37... They have a midfield with [good] players, but no one defends in this team. For me, they're an enigma.

"[Jeremy] Doku is the same as [Ousmane] Dembele. But given the criticism that we've put on Dembele since the start of the competition, we're not going to say better about Doku.

"I understand the Belgian supporters, who are disappointed. We've been talking to them for years and years about a golden generation. But the golden generation is starting to no longer be golden at all. They have no legs, no aggression."

If France are to take advantage of Belgium's indifferent performances so far, then they will need their forwards to be firing on all cylinders, something defender William Saliba is acutely aware of.

"It’s true we didn't score many goals in the group stage. When you don't score a lot, you have to be focused," Saliba said.

"But that's how it can be when you are playing at the highest level. But I have no doubt that the attackers will be there in the round of 16 and deliver.

"It's clear that we have to be more dangerous with our set-pieces, especially me. I think I haven't even touched one, so we can do better."

Belgium's attackers similarly misfired in Group E. In fact, only Serbia (3.8%) had a poorer shot conversion rate in the group stage than Belgium and France (both 4.2% - two goals from 48 shots).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

France - Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe netted his first ever goal at the Euros when he put away that penalty against Poland. It took his tally to 13 goals across major tournaments, with only Michel Platini (14 in 19 games) ever scoring more for France.

The new Real Madrid forward is also only two goals away from becoming the third French player to score 50 goals in all competitions, after Olivier Giroud (57) and Thierry Henry (51).

Belgium - Kevin De Bruyne

During the group stage, Belgium were the team with the highest share of their line-breaking passes being those that broke the opposition’s defensive line (18%).

And it was De Bruyne who broke the opponent's defensive line on more occasions than any other midfielder (11). If Belgium are to progress, they will need their playmaker on top form.

MATCH PREDICTION: FRANCE WIN

France have drawn five of their last six Euro matches (one win), having only drawn four of their previous 25 games in the competition (14 wins, seven defeats). Their round-of-16 match at Euro 2020 was a 3-3 draw with Switzerland, with Les Bleus eventually going out 5-4 on penalties.

Belgium, meanwhile, have advanced to the knockout stages of a third consecutive Euros, having reached the quarter-finals in 2016 and 2020. The Red Devils have won each of their last four last-16 games at major tournaments since losing to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup (0-2).

However, France have won all four of their previous matches against Belgium at major tournaments, scoring 13 goals and conceding only three.

Their only previous meeting at the Euros was 40 years ago, in 1984 – France won 5-0 in the group stages courtesy of a Platini hat-trick and goals from Alain Giresse and Luis Fernandez.

This will be France and Belgium's 76th encounter overall. Les Bleus have faced the Belgians nearly twice as often as any other team (39 meetings each with Italy and Switzerland). Meanwhile, Belgium have only faced the Netherlands (129 times) on more occasions than the French.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

France - 58.4%

Belgium - 20.8%

Draw - 20.8%

Eni Aluko believes Harry Kane is somewhat "playing for himself" at Euro 2024, as she urged the England captain to stay upfield rather than dropping deep.

Kane, who scored in England's 1-1 draw with Denmark, has been starved of opportunities so far, with the Three Lions' attack struggling to spark.

The Bayern Munich forward, who scored 44 goals for the Bundesliga giants across all competitions in 2023-24, has had eight shots at the tournament, accumulating 1.06 expected goals (xG).

And former Lioness Aluko, who is a pundit for ITV Sport, suggested Kane, who has managed just 10 touches in the opposition box in total, is dropping too deep, to the detriment of Gareth Southgate's team.

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Home of Adidas football in Berlin, Aluko said: "I have to preface everything I'm about to say by saying Kane is one of the greatest players we've ever seen for England, greatest goal scorers, but I think this tournament has made me realise that he sort of plays for himself a little bit.

"I don't think this is a new conversation about Kane dropping deep I remember doing the World Cup two years ago and having this same conversation. So at some point, I think Harry has to realise that it's not actually helping the team coming in, dropping deep, trying to play as a midfielder when we've got such talented midfielders who can do that.

"I know as a forward, a big part of that role is discipline. A big part of the position is keeping the pitch high, stretching the pitch so that you allow pockets for other people and trusting that they're going to get it to you.

"So I would just like to see Harry play for the team a little bit more. It sounds crazy because it's Harry Kane but I think at this point in his career he must know that it's actually not the best thing for the team to keep dropping in so I'd like to see a little bit more discipline from him."

Kane has been among the England players to hit out at the criticism the team has received from some of those in the media.

Aluko added: "I think as a pundit I always look at it from a very objective point of view. You can critique something and say these are the stats, these are the numbers, this is what I think without being personal.

"That's quite an easy balance to strike, to be honest. I never go into games going, I'm going to go right in on that player. It doesn't serve me to do that. So I think that we have a responsibility as pundits who've been there.

"Part of the reason why we're on these panels and we're talking about football is because we've been in those positions to understand that it's not easy and it's easier said than done. 

"I've seen it gone a bit too far and I like to see the players, to be honest, bite back a little bit. I used to do that as a player a little bit, bite back. But ultimately, the players' right of reply is on the pitch.

"There's no need to try and get soundbites and all that stuff. That's not really our job. Our job is to analyse what's in front of us, critique what's in front of us, use data, stats, to paint a picture for the audience back home to go right. Show people why it's not good rather than sort of get into individuals and get personal."

England face Slovakia in the last 16 on Sunday.

Red Bull enjoyed a strong start to their home grand prix as Max Verstappen clinched victory in the sprint race on Saturday.

No driver has won more the Austrian Grand Prix on more occasions than Verstappen (four), and the reigning Formula One world champion looks well placed to push on for a fifth victory after holding off McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Norris, who is second behind Verstappen in the drivers' championship, battled hard in the early laps before dropping off the pace and eventually finishing behind team-mate Piastri, while Mercedes' George Russell came in fifth.

Verstappen's win saw him move 71 points clear of Norris in the drivers' standings ahead of qualifying for Sunday's main event.

The Dutchman briefly relinquished the lead to Norris on lap five at Spielberg, but expertly regained it a turn later.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished fifth, with Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top six.

Data Debrief: Verstappen the king of the sprint

This marked the 15th sprint race since its introduction in F1. No driver has more wins (10), more pole positions (eight), more fastest laps (eight), more podiums (14) and more points (97) than Verstappen in the format.

The Red Bull driver is right at home in Austria, where he has achieved the most podium finishes (six) and the most fastest laps (four), and has the chance to single-handedly take the most pole positions at the event (four) should he top qualifying.

Top 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Omari Kellyman has signed for Chelsea from Aston Villa in a deal reportedly worth up to £19million.

Kellyman, an England youth international, has played six times for Villa's senior side.

He joined the Villans from Derby County in 2022.

However, the lofty fee Chelsea are paying for the 18-year-old has raised questions.

Both Chelsea and Villa are reportedly in risk of breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR), which could result in a points deduction.

But the sale of academy players represents pure profit for the selling club, and Kellyman's move comes a day on from Villa completing the acquisition of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea for a reported £37.5m.

Villa last week purchased Lewis Dobbin from Everton for £10m, after selling midfielder Tim Iroegbunam to the Toffees for £9m.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have also confirmed the departure of Hakim Ziyech, who has joined Galatasaray on a permanent basis after a successful spell on loan last season.

Ziyech has signed on a free transfer, with Gala able to activate that move if certain conditions were met.

The Moroccan international joined Chelsea from Ajax in 2020, penning a five-year contract, though was never able to nail down a consistent starting spot at Stamford Bridge.

He played 64 times in the Premier League, scoring six goals, setting up nine and creating 72 chances, registering an expected assists (xA) figure of 7.78.

Dorival Junior labelled Vinicius Junior's display against Paraguay as "almost perfect" after the Real Madrid star scored twice in a 4-1 victory for Brazil.

Vinicius' first-half double, along with efforts from Savinho and Lucas Paqueta, sealed an emphatic win for the Selecao, who bounced back from a disappointing 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in their first Copa America match.

The 23-year-old had three shots and accumulated 0.81 expected goals (xG), while attempting 17 dribbles, the second-most by a Brazilian player at the Copa America since Opta began collecting such data in 2011, after Neymar (19 against Peru in 2015).

"Today he played a very important role," Dorival said of Vinicius, who became the first Brazil player to net a first-half double in a Copa America group-stage match since Philippe Coutinho against Haiti in 2016.

"He played an almost perfect match, he created very good situations and opportunities. He was dynamic, very effective and straightforward and direct.

"He played well with other players and teamed up nicely, he has great capacity."

Brazil sit second in Group D on four points, two behind Colombia, who booked their progress to the quarter-finals by defeating Costa Rica 3-0 in Friday's other game.

Colombia, who are on a 25-game unbeaten streak, are Brazil's next opponents, with the Selecao requiring a victory to claim top spot.

"I think that we'll have a match of a very high level, with players that know each other, that usually play against each other," Dorival added.

"I have no doubts that Brazil will perform at the highest level, and I expect that it will be better than these two first matches."

Paraguay, on the other hand, are now out of the competition, having suffered their first Copa America loss to Brazil since 2001.

BrazIl ended the match having amassed 3.86 xG, though Paraguay coach Daniel Garnero felt his team were in it until Savinho put the nine-time Copa America champions 2-0 up in the 43rd minute, becoming the third youngest player to score for Brazil in the competition in the 21st century, after Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa.

"In particular the first half, up to the 40 minutes, it was very even," Garnero told reporters, having seen his team force Brazil shot-stopper Alisson into five saves, the most by a Brazilian goalkeeper in a Copa America match since detailed data began being recorded in 2011.

"I think we created some opportunities. Unfortunately, in the three minutes we got a bit distracted and they scored two goals that made a great difference in the result. And Vinicius is an elite player, no doubt about it."