A moment of pure magic from Vinicius Junior lifted Brazil to a thrilling yet chaotic 2-1 victory over Colombia in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying on Thursday. The Real Madrid star played a key role in the opener and sealed the win with a stunning late strike.

However, the night wasn’t without setbacks, as injuries to midfielder Gerson and goalkeeper Alisson added to manager Dorival Junior’s growing list of absentees, which already includes Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Neymar Jr.

Brazil struck first just six minutes in when Raphinha converted from the penalty spot after Vinicius was brought down by Daniel Muñoz. But 28 minutes in, the Selecao suffered their first blow as Gerson was forced off with an injury, replaced by Newcastle’s Joelinton. Just before halftime, Colombia capitalized on a mistake from the substitute, as James Rodríguez threaded a perfect pass to Luis Díaz, who fired home from 18 yards to level the score.

After the break, Colombia took control of possession, and the match saw a scary moment in the 70th minute when Davinson Sánchez collided with Alisson, leading to a lengthy stoppage. Sánchez was stretchered off, while Alisson, after receiving medical attention, walked off under his own power and was replaced by Bento at goal.

As stoppage time stretched past 10 minutes, Brazil pushed for a winner. Guilherme Arana squandered a golden chance at the far post, but with just minutes to spare, Vinicius produced a moment of brilliance. Cutting in from the left, he unleashed a breathtaking 30-yard strike that soared over the defense and into the far post, stunning the stadium.

With the win, Brazil surged from sixth ato second in the table, now sitting on 21 points from 13 matches. They trail only Lionel Messi’s Argentina (25 points), whom they face on Tuesday in their final March qualifier.