Tite’s men, who were missing Neymar due to a leg injury, now have three wins from three and remain well on course to book their place in the tournament with minimal fuss.
It was almost 70 minutes on the clock when Firmino found himself in the right place at the right time, slotting home at the first time of asking inside the six-yard box to secure another three points.
The Liverpool forward made an early charge into the area as Ribeiro crossed the ball from the right wing,
onto the head of Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus.
The diminutive forward hung in the air to win the header, before cushioning the ball into the path of Firmino who finished first time.
The hosts saw 74 per cent of the ball in the second half, compared to 77 per cent at the end of the first half, as Venezuela tried to contain their opponents without managing to make it much of a contest.
Brazil now climb back to the top of the qualification table. Even better that they have overtaken bitter rivals Argentina in the process to move two points ahead. Lionel Messi’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Paraguay on Thursday.
Next up for Brazil, they face Uruguay in Montevideo on Tuesday. Uruguay recorded a commanding 3-0 win over Colombia and Brazil and Everton midfielder Allan is prepared for a tricky game.
‘It will be a difficult game, Uruguay had an important win today but we know what we are capable of,’ he said.
