After a six-goal thriller between Cameroon and Serbia, and another five goals between South Korea and Ghana, everyone expected another hatful when the tournament favourites and five-time world champions took the field.
Brazil appeared to be a team in need of a spark and the ability to break down an organised defence that was sitting deep and inviting you to break them down. He will also miss the final group game against Cameroon, and the South Americans might have been worried if they had been drawn here because they looked distinctly average without him.
This was not how I expected Brazil to play; I expected them to burst out of the traps, but they appeared slow and laborious. They huffed and puffed but lacked the top-end defense-splitting ability that Neymar is known for. Switzerland did an excellent job of neutralising their front three, but the first half was tedious.
Richarlison came into the game in good form, having scored nine goals in his last seven appearances for Brazil, while Breel Embolo had scored three goals in his last four for Switzerland. We all know that Brazil has a lot of respect for the Swiss, whom they faced in the last World Cup in Russia and were held to a 1-1 tie.
And it said it all when, at the end of the first period of the World Cup of injury time, only one minute was added on. The Swiss got a little more excited in the second half, but it was Vinicius Jr who thought he had put Brazil ahead. However, Richarlison was just offside as the move began, and it was chalked off.