Brazil's Gilberto Silva (left) fights for the ball with Argentina's Lionel Messi during their friendly football match at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. Brazil won 3-0. - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters):

Elano scored twice and substitute Kaka netted a fine solo goal to give Brazil a 3-0 win over Argentina in their friendly at the Emirates stadium yesterday.

Brazil opened the scoring after just three minutes when they broke towards Argentina's goal with Robinho threading a diagonal ball to Elano on the right and his shot went in at the near post after a slight deflection from Daniel Bilos.

The Ukraine-based Elano struck again in the 68th when he rifled a shot past Argentina goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri from the right after the inventive Kaka exchanged passes with striker Fred in a diagonal move from left midfield.

Kaka got on the scoresheet himself when he robbed Lionel Messi inside the Brazil half and ran 60 metres leaving defenders in his wake to steer the third goal past a helpless Abbondanzieri from just inside the box with two minutes to go.

Argentina, though well beaten, had chances and early in the second half rightback Pablo Zabaleta should have scored from Luis Gonzalez's back-heel to make the score 1-1 but his shot curled away from the far post after beating, keeper Gomes.

Elano had another shot from the centre stopped by Abbondanzieri nine minutes after his first goal and, Robinho was foiled by the Argentina keeper at the death following a superb series of one-twos down the left near the half hour.

Best chances

At the other end, Gomes saved a strong Carlos Tevez header and tipped a Juan Roman Riquelme free kick over his bar to deny Argentina's best chances since their quick start in which they twice nearly found the net before Brazil's opening goal.

Brazil right back Cicinho shot wide of the near post after being sprung in another counter-attack before half-time.

The Brazilians looked very much the home side with the vast majority of the crowd at Arsenal's new 60,000-seat stadium decked in yellow.

Argentina tried to get back in the game when Brazil sat on their lead early in the second half.

The small Messi could not quite get up high enough to midfielder Bilos's cross and headed over the bar. He also had a shot blocked from Zabaleta's pass.

Abbondanzieri parried a stinging shot from Fred midway through the half and, after Elano's second goal, the busy Robinho shot just over the bar from outside the box.

In a move involving Argentina's last two substitutes, Federico Insua shot wide when he should have scored after a neatly chipped pass in little space from 18-year-old Sergio Aguero, who won his first cap.

The result tipped the all-time balance of meetings between the South American giants to 35-34 in Brazil's favour after 91 games since 1914, according to the match programme.