England hold Brazil to uninspiring friendly draw at Wembley as young Lions keep Neymar at bay

England 0 Brazil 0: A workmanlike performance by Gareth Southgate's inexperienced team ensured a second stalemate against a major international force in four days

Neymar, right, takes on England wing-back Kyle Walker (Getty Images)

Jake Livermore pirouetting through the Brazil midfield. Paulinho passing to himself. International defenders looking bemused at the very concept of Jamie Vardy. Marcus Rashford nutmegging Marcelo. Jake Livermore – and this really does bear repeating – pirouetting through the Brazil midfield.

These were the fun, slightly surreal tentpoles of a game that otherwise provided only fitful entertainment, England's rag-tag bunch of kids and third-choicers somehow cancelling out an in-form Brazil side at Wembley. No carnival, but at least some staccato pantomime.

Your kids or grandkids won't dig out the highlights reel on YouTube in 20 years' time, but this was in its own way another heartening evening for the Three Lion Cubs, who, despite being outplayed for long spells, showed reserves of grit in defence and more than a little underdog swagger further forward. And while Joe Hart was undoubtedly the busier goalkeeper, England had, in Marcus Rashford, a player more than capable of holding his own against the cadre of Brazilian attackers.

Casemiro had a good game in the middle of the park (Getty)

Southgate made five changes to the side that held Germany here, the most notable of which resulted in a full debut for Joe Gomez. There are deep ends and then there are deep ends: the Liverpool man took to the field with fewer senior starts under his belt than Neymar – the closest thing he had to a direct opponent – had international goals. With Gary Cahill also in the squad it was a brave decision, albeit not an atypical one in light of recent developments at Gareth's Great Youth Thunderdome.

Nor did the vague sense of bizarro theatre stop at the team sheets. Within the first 20 minutes we were treated to the sight of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and then Livermore slaloming out of tight spots in midfield, ball stuck to boot as if by voodoo or superglue. It was just like watching... hmm, actually, best hold that thought.

This, presumably, was not quite what Brazil thought they had signed up for when they scheduled Tite's first outing against European opposition. But those fripperies aside, it was the Selecao who settled the quicker, Marcelo and Renato Augusto combining to good effect down the left, and Neymar darting down rabbit holes. One backheel-heavy exchange brought coos of approval from those fans with yellow shirts lovingly stretched over five layers of coats, before Gabriel Jesus tested Hart with a glancing header.

England's threat was initially limited to the odd ferrety channel raid by Vardy, but they gradually grew in stature. Rashford produced the only real moment of attacking quality, stinging the palms of Alisson after breezing past Casemiro, but by the time a fairly tame opening period drew to a close, Southgate's pick-and-mixers had chipped out a foothold.

The good work was almost undone a minute into the second half. Neymar, for whom the volume in this big ice-cream scoop of a stadium always rose a few decibels all night, drifted in from the left, jagged away from the backpedalling England defence with a geometrist's conviction and guided a ball through to Philippe Coutinho. Or was it for Paulinho? Neither of them appeared to know, meaning Hart was able to rush out and smother the Liverpool man's rushed effort.

Rashford admitted on Monday that he was eager to impress his idol, Ronaldo, and there was more than a dollop of O Fenemeno's old barrelling majesty to the his next contribution. The 20-year-old twisted past Casemiro, casually popped the ball through the legs of Marcelo and only a last-ditch recovery challenge ended his progress inside the Brazil box.

There were further opportunities for the Selecao, Fernandinho clipping the post from range and Paulinho forcing Hart into action. But there was to be no breakthrough and that, given the nature of the England line-up, has to be regarded as a minor victory for Southgate.