Alan Shearer believes Gabriel Magalhaes looked âshakyâ and âslowâ in Brazilâs World Cup opener which ended in a 1-1 draw with Morocco.
The Arsenal centre-back, who is appearing at a World Cup for the first time in his career, was caught out of position for Moroccoâs opening goal as a brilliant pass from Brahim Diaz put Ismael Saibari through and he clipped the ball over Alisson.
Brazil equalised before half time through an excellent finish from Vinicius Jr, but Carlo Ancelottiâs side struggled to pose problems for Morocco.
âHeâs looked shaky, Gabriel, today,â Shearer said during the BBCâs coverage of the game.
âOn two or three occasions the ball has gone out and I thought he couldâve attacked it and he didnât. Heâs been slow.
âCertainly with the goal in the first half, the gap between him and Marquinhos was huge.â
Speaking after Brazilâs draw, Ancelotti conceded that opening game nerves had got the better of his players.
âI think we didnât start the game well, the team was a bit worried, we lost a lot of balls, a lot of duels,â Ancelotti said.
âThe first half wasnât good. It improved in the second half, itâs a difficult game because Morocco is a good team.
âA little anxiety, I think so. In the first stage, they [Morocco] would escape the pressure and make dangerous transitions. We could have had more control.â
Meanwhile, former Liverpool and Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva believes Ancelottiâs side lacked balance in the middle of the pitch.
âOne point is better than nothing but I think Ancelotti will have a lot of work to do for the next game against Haiti,â Lucas told CBS Sports.
âIt should be an easier game for Brazil but I was a little bit worried, especially the first half, with what we saw in the game.
âBefore the game we spoke about balance, Brazil never looked in control in the middle, Casemiro struggled a little bit and thatâs why he got taken out at half time.
âOffensively, Brazil never looked dangerous, they didnât create as much as we couldâve imagined.
âWe were talking about the position of Raphinha, Brazil never had a right winger, which made it difficult. Second half was a little bit better, Danilo coming on at right-back gave them more stability at the back. But overall it wasnât a good performance, the balance of the team wasnât right, the middle never got control of the game and we know how important the midfield is for the team.â
Brazil play Haiti in their next World Cup match on June 20.
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The Arsenal centre-back, who is appearing at a World Cup for the first time in his career, was caught out of position for Moroccoâs opening goal as a brilliant pass from Brahim Diaz put Ismael Saibari through and he clipped the ball over Alisson.
Brazil equalised before half time through an excellent finish from Vinicius Jr, but Carlo Ancelottiâs side struggled to pose problems for Morocco.
âHeâs looked shaky, Gabriel, today,â Shearer said during the BBCâs coverage of the game.
âOn two or three occasions the ball has gone out and I thought he couldâve attacked it and he didnât. Heâs been slow.
âCertainly with the goal in the first half, the gap between him and Marquinhos was huge.â
Speaking after Brazilâs draw, Ancelotti conceded that opening game nerves had got the better of his players.
âI think we didnât start the game well, the team was a bit worried, we lost a lot of balls, a lot of duels,â Ancelotti said.
âThe first half wasnât good. It improved in the second half, itâs a difficult game because Morocco is a good team.
âA little anxiety, I think so. In the first stage, they [Morocco] would escape the pressure and make dangerous transitions. We could have had more control.â
Meanwhile, former Liverpool and Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva believes Ancelottiâs side lacked balance in the middle of the pitch.
âOne point is better than nothing but I think Ancelotti will have a lot of work to do for the next game against Haiti,â Lucas told CBS Sports.
âIt should be an easier game for Brazil but I was a little bit worried, especially the first half, with what we saw in the game.
âBefore the game we spoke about balance, Brazil never looked in control in the middle, Casemiro struggled a little bit and thatâs why he got taken out at half time.
âOffensively, Brazil never looked dangerous, they didnât create as much as we couldâve imagined.
âWe were talking about the position of Raphinha, Brazil never had a right winger, which made it difficult. Second half was a little bit better, Danilo coming on at right-back gave them more stability at the back. But overall it wasnât a good performance, the balance of the team wasnât right, the middle never got control of the game and we know how important the midfield is for the team.â
Brazil play Haiti in their next World Cup match on June 20.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arrow MORE: PSG star hands in transfer request after Arsenal approach
Arrow MORE: Arsenal star Jurrien Timber issues concerning injury update after missing World Cup
Arrow MORE: Why Neymar isnât playing in Brazilâs World Cup opener against Morocco
