SHANGHAI, China — Cristiane scored twice to lead Brazil to a 4-1 win over Germany on Monday to reach the Olympic women's football final for the second time in a row.

After Birgit Prinz had given world champion Germany a 10th-minute lead to become the first player to score in all four Olympics since the introduction of women's football at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The Brazilians hit back with goals from Cristiane, Formiga and Marta. Germany had not conceded in 10 previous games in major championships.

In Thursday's final in Beijing, Brazil will face either defending champion United States or Japan, which met later Monday.

Four years ago, Brazil lost to the Americans in the final.

Cristiane's goals took her tally to five for the competition and Marta, who now has three, had a hand in two more.

"But I wouldn't say it is a two-woman show," coach Jorge Barcellos said. "Everyone played very well. For example, Formiga, who was injured during the World Cup, but she made a lot of contribution to the team. And there's our captain Tania. She made a lot of opportunities. All the players played really well.

"At the start the team was a little bit tense and I didn't know why. Perhaps it was because they met Germany in the group stage. But they changed their position which enabled the pace of the game to come and after that it went pretty well."

Germany coach Silvia Neid, who led the team to its World Cup final triumph over Brazil in Shanghai last year, said her team was confident of victory after going ahead.

"We kind of feel that we had it in our hands. We led 1-0 and missed some other chances to score the second goal," she said. "After that we didn't work well in front of our defense, and we surrendered the equalizing goal at a bad time, just before halftime. We were on the wing with two players covering Cristiane and we just couldn't manage to get the ball.

"The second and third goals were situations that started with a corner on the other side. Marta had a lot of space and handled the ball very well, and you saw the result. After that it was difficult to get back in the game. We are disappointed with the loss, but we can't change it."

A blunder by Brazil defender Erika gifted Germany the opening goal. She lost control only 30 meters from her own goal, and Prinz was left with just goalkeeper Barbara to beat.

Instead of shooting, Prinz decided to dribble round the goalkeeper before sweeping ball into the net with her left foot.

It was almost 2-0 two minutes later after Simone gave the ball away, but Melanie Behringer shot wide and Barbara also made a good save from Anja Mittag after Prinz had put her strike partner clear.

The Brazilians responded with some attractive moves that brought a series of chances at the other end and an equalizer two minutes before halftime.

There seemed no danger until Cristiane cleverly dribbled past a defender near the left corner flag and pulled the ball back. Marta mis-hit her attempted shot, but the ball rolled to Formiga and she drove it past goalkeeper Nadine Angerer from 18 meters.

A minute later, Brazil almost went ahead when Marta's 25-meter shot was tipped over the bar by Angerer.

The Brazilians' second goal in the 49th minute came from a breakaway after they cleared a corner.

Two German defenders were left exposed to deal with Marta and two players who charged upfield to support her. She drew both of the Germans toward her and then found the unmarked Cristiane to almost casually slip the ball past Angerer.

It was 3-1 four minutes later when Marta picked up the ball wide on the right, pushed it past two German defenders and, instead of trying to find a teammate, beat Angerer from an acute angle inside the far post.

Cristiane's second goal in the 76th was all her own work.

She collected the ball 30 meters out, dribbled past one defender, ran between two more and left a fourth behind before sliding the ball past Angerer from 12 meters.

It should have been five when Marta weaved past two defenders and set up an easy chance for Francielle, but she shot across the face of the goal.