Corinthians’ forward Juan Manuel Martinez had given Argentina the lead midway through the first-half in Goiania with a volleyed finish past Jefferson, but it was not long before Brazil levelled.
In fact, it was Martinez’s Timão team-mate, Paulinho, who pulled the Seleção level. Neymar swung a free-kick into the area and the midfielder made no mistake with his headed finish.
Although Brazil established some measure of control over the remainder of game, the home-crowd were restless and jeers could be heard for extended periods.
Indeed, there were regular appeals for the dismissal of manager Mano Menezes, with recently sacked former Palmeiras boss Luis Felipe Scolari the fans’ choice to take over.
However, with just moments to go, Mano Menezes was to earn a repriev. With the game entering stoppage-time, Leandro Desabato handled the ball in his own area and a penalty was awarded, which Neymar calmly dispatched.
Brazil will now carry a slender one-goal advantage into the second-leg on October 3 at the Bicentenario stadium in Resistencia, Argentina.
