Philippe Coutinho has explained the quick thinking that led to his maiden goal for Brazil on Sunday night.

The Liverpool No.10 opened his account for the Selecao with a superb solo strike during the friendly with Mexico in Sao Paulo.

Latching onto a through ball on the left edge of the area, Coutinho's agility took him past his marker and into shooting territory.

From a narrow angle, the 22-year-old coolly found a gap between the goalkeeper and post to ping a finish into the net.

"When I saw the 'keeper, I assumed he was expecting me to cross the ball and was ready to jump on to it," said Coutinho.

"I then decided to shoot in the space between him and the bar, and it worked out."

The Reds playmaker's goal helped Brazil claim a 2-0 victory as they build up to the beginning of their Copa America campaign on Sunday.

He added: "We had a good game and I thought we dealt well with the challenges we faced during the match."