There is the final whistle! Sampaoli's Argentina reign begins with a win over their arch rivals.
90' +4
M. Acuña enters the game and replaces Á. Di María.
The free-kick is headed away by Gil, and that will surely be that.
90' +3
Argentina try to wind the clock down and Coutinho trips Messi over. That'll be a free-kick for Sampaoli's side.
90' +2
Taison enters the game and replaces Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus is carried off on the stretcher to warm applause from the crowd. Taison takes his place.
90' +1
There will be a minimum of three added minutes. Taison is stood on the sidelines waiting to come on, the chances are it will be for Jesus.
90'
Maybe it was painful for Jesus, he's still down receiving treatment and the referee has called for the stretcher.
88'
Jesus goes down with a yelp after Otamendi clambers over the back of him to win a header. There didn't seem to be much in it, but the referee stops play with suggestions it could be a head injury.
86'
Brazil are giving away too many cheap free-kicks as their evident frustrations mount. Jesus is whistled for tripping Banega, but Argentina fail to hold onto possession. They look set to invite pressure in the closing minutes.
84'
That was a pretty poor decision from Costa! Brazil work the ball from right to left and the Bayern Munich winger goes for goal from a difficult angle rather than cross. His shot flies over, with Romero happy to watch it fly behind.
83'
Time is running out for Brazil to find an equaliser. They need to get the ball to Willian and Costa, who have the pace that can trouble this Argentina defence.
Minute
Description
81'
Giuliano enters the game and replaces Paulinho.
M. Lanzini enters the game and replaces É. Banega.
Giuliano - wearing Neymar's number 10 shirt - comes on for Paulinho.
Another first senior appearance for Argentina as Manuel Lanzini takes Banega's spot in midfield.
80'
Rafinha gets yellow.
Costa races past Mammana and attempts to centre but the Lyon defender slides in with a foot to deflect it behind. Argentina get it out of the box and Rafinha barges into the back of Messi at high speed, earning a yellow card.
78'
Paulinho gets yellow.
CHANCE! Willian again uses his pace and quick feet to burn past Tagliafico and drill a low ball into the goal mouth. Paulinho cannot steer it goalwards or bring it under control and the chance goes begging.
Paulinho is shown a yellow card for a late and wholly unnecessary trip on Rodriguez.
76'
Argentina work the ball from right to left before Di Maria feeds Correa. He spins away from his marker and sends a tame shot towards the bottom-right corner that Weverton is more than equal to.
75'
E. Mammana enters the game and replaces G. Mercado.
Emanuel Mammana is sent on for the injured Mercado.
74'
There's a break in play now as Mercado goes down off the ball, holding the back of his left leg. He's taken his shin pads off, so that might be the end of his outing.
73'
Rafinha enters the game and replaces Fágner.
Tite gets some fresh legs on at right-back, replacing Fagner with Rafinha.
70'
Coutinho is the man to strike the free-kick and he sends it swirling over the top of Romero's goal. Brazil quickly come back again with Willian beating Tagliafico for pace and whipping in a cross that Jesus looks sure to head home until Mercado gets enough on the ball to steer it away.
69'
G. Rodríguez enters the game and replaces P. Dybala.
Before the free-kick is taken Sampaoli hands another debut out for Guido Rodriguez, sending him on in place of Dybala.
68'
As it stands Tite is heading for his first defeat since taking over Brazil after the Copa America Centenario. He has won all nine of his games in charge so far. Brazil have a chance to equalise as they are awarded a free-kick 25 yards out after Otamendi flattens Jesus.
66'
Douglas Costa enters the game and replaces Renato Augusto.
A positive change for Brazil as Douglas Costa comes on for Augusto.
64'
Brazil have really stepped up their search for an equaliser and it's baffling that they didn't get it there. The goal was gaping for Jesus despite Otamendi chasing him, but it's unbelievable he's failed to score.
62'
INCREDIBLE! BRAZIL HIT THE POST TWICE IN SUCCESSION! Jesus is released by a sublime pass through the heart of the Argentina defence from Fernandinho and he rounds Romero before sending his shot against the upright. Willian latches onto the rebound and he too hits the woodwork! Paulinho cannot get the ball under control for a third attempt as Argentina clear.
61'
SIDE NETTING! Willian's free-kick is flicked on Silva and drops for Jesus on the left-hand side of the box. He side-foots a first-time shot towards goal, failing to hit the target.
60'
JESUS!! He checks inside of Maidana and tries to bend a shot into the top-right corner. Romero bats it away unconventionally, but Fagner pounces on the loose ball and draws a free-kick.
59'
WHAT IS HE DOING?! A magnificent flick to Jesus by Coutinho is met with an excellent return pass that releases him down the left. The Liverpool man skips inside a pair of challenges and fires a cross-goal effort towards the far post. Paulinho gets in the way of it, though, and does so from an offside position!
58'
Argentina work the corner all the way back to Tagliafico and he sends a stray pass straight to Willian. The Chelsea man bursts forward and feeds Jesus on the left-hand side of the box, but the striker is unable to cut inside Otamendi and get a shot away.
57'
Tagliafico is not closed down as he dribbles towards the box. His attempt at a one-two with Correa is cut out by Fernandinho but the loose ball drops to Di Maria, who rifles a deflected shot behind for a corner.
56'
It looks like Argentina have switched to a back four now. Mercado and Tagliafico playing as full-backs, with Dybala leading the line ahead of Correa, Messi and Di Maria.
55'
Oh dear! Correa bursts forward on the right and clips a cross to the back post for Di Maria. It's at a decent height to be volleyed and Di Maria tries just that. He catches it poorly, though, scuffing the ball behind himself rather than towards the target.
53'
Otamendi fails to deal with a speculative pass down the middle and gives it straight to Jesus. He attempts to curl a shot past Romero and only succeeds in finding Romero's gloves.
52'
N. Tagliafico enters the game and replaces J. Gómez.
Gomez goes off for another debutant, Nicolas Tagliafico.
51'
Fernandinho has been everywhere today. He tracks back and manages to get between Di Maria and the ball as he drives to the byline, drawing a foul that relieves the pressure on Brazil.
50'
Willian goes for goal directly from the set-piece but drills it straight into the wall. Banega's attempt to clear ends up at the feet of Willian, who releases Fagner on the right and he goes down after knocking the ball past Maidana. He was trying to win a penalty there, and the referee was having none of it.
48'
Otamendi gives the ball away on the edge of his own area and Coutinho quickly moves it to Willian. He is surrounded by Argentina shirts but Dybala needlessly sticks a foot in that gives Brazil a free-kick in a dangerous area.
46'
J. Correa enters the game and replaces G. Higuaín.
Joaquin Correa replaces Higuain for the second half.
Argentina get the second half underway.
45' +2
There is the half-time whistle!
45' +1
We will have a minimum of one added minute.
45'
G. Mercado has scored a goal for Argentina!
GOOOOOOOAAAAAL!! ARGENTINA LEAD! A short corner is worked back to Di Maria and his cross finds Otamendi. The City defender sees his header hit the post, with the rebound falling perfectly for Mercado to fire into an open goal from inside the six-yard box!
43'
JUST WIDE! Di Maria again the source of the threat for Argentina, with his pass along the top of the box finding Dybala. He tries to curl a shot into the top-left corner with his wand of a left foot and sends it wide of the upright with Weverton at full stretch.
41'
A great first touch from Fagner sends him to the byline and he stands a cross up to the back post. His delivery only finds the head of Gomez, though, and Argentina look to break. Di Maria whips a low cross into the centre which Silva hooks out for a throw-in.
39'
WHAT A STRIKE! Di Maria sees an attempt to cross for Higuain headed straight back to him by Gil, and he unleashes a volley at the near post in response. It skids towards the bottom corner and Weverton can only push it behind for a corner.
38'
Fernandinho leaves a leg in on Dybala and Argentina are awarded a free-kick deep on the right. Messi floats the ball into Higuain, who aims a header at the bottom-left corner that Weverton gets across to. It wouldn't have counted had it gone in, though, with the flag up for offside.
36'
Argentina continue to find it difficult to break Brazil down, with Tite's side doing their best to get as many players behind the ball as possible.
34'
Filipe Luis receives the ball in space and takes two touches before pulling the trigger with an ambitious effort that flies high of the top-right corner he was aiming for.
32'
Jesus appeared to be in some pain after hobbling off but he's sent back onto the field with some words of encouragement from Tite.
31'
J. Maidana gets yellow.
Replays show Di Maria actually slowed the play down and kicked the ball out so Jesus could receive treatment, and he didn't take kindly to Paulinho's attempted tackle. That is what drew Mercado into the confrontation.
Maidana is shown a yellow card for that late tackle on Jesus.
30'
There's a confrontation between Paulinho and Mercado on the right, with the Brazilian seeming to suggest he was on the end of an elbow. It comes after the referee blew his whistle so Jesus could receive treatment having been caught on the foot by Maidana.
28'
Messi is starting to get more involved now. He sprays a delightful pass out to Di Maria on the left, but the offside flag brings the move to an early end.
27'
Gomez gets forward for the first time in the match, overlapping Dybala who feeds him with a nice pass to the byline. His attempted cross appears to hit Gil before going behind, but a goal-kick is awarded by the officials.
26'
Mercado stays down after being chopped down by Jesus, who receives a few words of warning from the referee.
24'
Di Maria runs at Fagner and works enough space for a shot on his favoured left foot. He drives it low to Weverton's near post, but there's not enough power on the effort to trouble the keeper.
22'
WHAT A CHANCE!! Filipe Luis fizzes a pass into Jesus and he sends the ball around the corner for the run of Willian down the left. He drives into the box and squares for the unmarked Coutinho on the opposite side. He takes a touch before trying to round Romero, but the recovering Otamendi makes an important block to stop him hitting the target!
20'
Argentina have had close to 70 per cent of the possession so far, but Messi, Dybala and Higuain have not seen an awful lot of the ball. Brazil are pressing well, remaining organised at the back and proving a threat on the counter-attack. Sampaoli is pacing the touchline, constantly barking orders at his team.
18'
OVER! Another neat move down the right from Brazil, with Jesus clipping a pass out to Fagner on the right. The Corinthians full-back sees his former club team-mate Augusto making a run through the middle and squares for him 20 yards out. His curled shot is too high to worry Romero, though.
16'
Coutinho races away down the right after a one-two with Gabriel Jesus and tries to find Willian rushing in on the left-hand side of the box. His delivery is cut out by Otamendi, with Brazil having to settle for a corner.
14'
Messi comes deep to try and get on the ball but he ends up fouling Fernandinho as he rushes in to win possession, with Brazil awarded a free-kick in a deep position. Willian clips it to the back post for Paulinho, whose cushioned header is smashed clear by Biglia.
13'
Otamendi launches a long diagonal up to Higuain and the Juventus striker is penalised for barging into Silva as he tried to create room to bring the pass down.
11'
A good spell of pressure for La Albiceleste here. They are penning Brazil back inside their own half, though Tite's side are predictably proving difficult to break down. The referee allows play to continue after Fernandinho sends Mercado to ground, but the Manchester City midfielder is sent tumbling in response by a vengeful Di Maria.
9'
Gomez is making his senior Argentina debut at right wing-back and has had a few early touches to help him settle into the match. Sampaoli will no doubt hope the Lanus man can provide a similar attacking threat to Di Maria on the opposite flank.
8'
Di Maria is down and receiving treatment after a robust challenge from Paulinho. There did not appear to be too much in it and the PSG man is soon back to his feet. Sampaoli has a few words in his ear before he jogs back onto the pitch.
6'
OFF THE POST! After Coutinho dribbles into the box after regaining possession on the left but fails to get a shot off, Argentina charge up the other end. Dybala slides a lovely pass down the left-hand channel for Di Maria, who cracks a powerful shot against the near-side upright!
4'
Di Maria initiates a one-two with Messi, though Higuain intervenes and gets his head in the way of the Barcelona star's return pass. He fails to find a team-mate and Brazil quickly remove the threat.
3'
Argentina are trying to hold onto the ball in the early stages but Brazil are pressing them high. Silva gets a roar of approval from the stands after turning away from a closing Higuain inside his own half.
1'
Brazil get the ball rolling!
Hello and welcome to this live commentary on the international friendly between South American powerhouses Brazil and Argentina in Melbourne, Australia.
This may be a friendly, but matches between these two rivals are always worth watching. There are a couple of interesting storylines around today's meeting, with the main one being Jorge Sampaoli's first match in charge of Argentina having left Sevilla to succeed Edgardo Bauza.
Having been stripped of the captaincy and lost his place in the Brazil line-up under Dunga, Thiago Silva has been welcomed back into the fold by Tite. The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back will make his first start for the Selecao in almost two years, and he will wear the skipper's armband for the first since the 2014 World Cup.
Brazil (4-3-3): Weverton; Fagner, Gil, Thiago Silva, Filipe Luis; Paulinho, Fernandinho, Renato Augusto; Willian, Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho.
Let's take a look at how the two teams will shape up at the start of the match...
Argentina (3-4-2-1): Sergio Romero; Gabriel Mercado, Jonathan Maidana, Nicolas Otamendi; Jose Luis Gomez, Lucas Biglia, Ever Banega, Angel Di Maria; Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala; Gonzalo Higuain.
In the build-up to kick-off, Tite said Sampaoli was "brave" to have taken charge of Argentina in the current situation - they sit outside of the automatic qualification places for the 2018 World Cup with four games remaining in the CONMEBOL section. However, the new coach has seemingly wasted no time in looking to implement his trademark positive style with a three-man defence and a mouthwatering forward trio.
Brazil have already secured their place at Russia 2018, but there will be no lack of motivation against their greatest rivals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The fringe players will be eager to impress to try and boost their claims for a spot in next year's World Cup squad.
The most recent meeting between these sides saw Brazil run out 3-0 winners in a World Cup qualifier last November. Neymar was on target that day, but he has been left out of the squad for a close-season break. Argentina’s last victory over their neighbours came in 2012, when a Messi hat-trick inspired them to a 4-3 victory in a friendly in New Jersey.
The teams are making their way out onto the pitch, so we will be underway in a few moments.
A pair of cracking national anthems prior to kick-off now, with Argentina's followed by that of Brazil.
Plenty of replica Brazil and Argentina shirts in a sell-out crowd. This has the makings of a great game of football.
HALF-TIME - Brazil 0-1 Argentina: It's hard to begrudge La Albiceleste the lead at the break, they've dominated possession and consistently tried to unlock a stubborn Brazil defence. Di Maria struck the post prior to Mercado opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time, but the Selecao had looked more threatening on the counter-attack. Another entertaining 45 minutes surely awaits!
FULL-TIME - Brazil 0-1 Argentina: Mercado's first-half goal gives La Albiceleste their fist victory over Brazil since 2012 and their first under Sampaoli. It is a first defeat in charge of the Selecao for Tite, who may well rue missed chances from Jesus and Willian, who hit the post in quick succession after the restart.
Thanks a lot for joining us for that great game. Have a great day.
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