Neymar
scored the winning penalty as hosts Brazil beat Germany 5-4 on penalties in Rio
to win their first men's Olympic football gold medal.
The
game finished 1-1 after extra time, with Neymar's first-half free-kick
cancelled out by Max Meyer's strike.
In
the shootout, Germany's Nils Petersen had his penalty saved by Weverton before
Neymar won it.
It
comes two years after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup
semi-finals in Belo Horizonte.
In
front of 78,000 at the Maracana, Brazil got a measure of revenge as they
finally won the Olympic title after losing in the finals in 1984, 1988 and
2012.
Barcelona
forward Neymar, who missed the World Cup semi-final through injury, opened the
scoring with a fine 25-yard free-kick, but the hosts were lucky to go in at
half-time with the lead.
Germany
hit the woodwork three times in the first half - through Julian Brandt's
25-yard effort, a deflection off a Brazilian defender and Sven Bender's header
- before they scored a deserved equaliser shortly after the restart.
Bender
passed to the overlapping Jeremy Toljan and he found the unmarked Meyer, who
arrowed a low shot into the net.
Neither
side could find a winner before the drama of the penalty shootout gave Brazil
the gold.
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