Friday night's debate between presidential hopefuls Jose Serra and Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, or Lula, almost turned into a love fest, according to Brazil's press.

Serra and Lula shunned the opportunity to launch personal attacks.

Jornal do Brasil

Leading dailies are unanimous in praising its civilized tone, especially considering Mr Serra's attacks on Lula in the run up to Sunday's poll, the decisive second round of Brazil's elections to find a successor to Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

And they have little doubt, that, come Monday, Lula will be heading for the presidential palace.

Jornal do Brasil describes the debate as "exceptionally amenable", concluding that there was no winner.

"Friendly debate marks the end of the election," it says. "Serra and Lula shunned the opportunity to launch personal attacks."

Peace and Love

Serra is backed by President Cardoso

Folha de Sao Paulo describes the debate as having taken place "in a climate of peace and love".

O Globo notes that the adversaries embraced each other both at the beginning and the end of the debate. It describes "a cordial meeting" marked by "a minimum of discord".

The front page of the Estado de Sao Paulo shows the contenders embracing like long-lost brothers, adding that there was "little real debate".

Both Estado and O Globo report that the financial markets are now reacting positively to the election, giving the lie to forecasts that the likelihood of a Lula victory was depressing them.

30 million votes which separate them in some way took the sting out of the debate.

O Globo

"The market is now reacting with optimism to a Lula victory," says Estado. "Fear has now become relief."

Many commentators note that the form of the debate also played a major part in its non-confrontational nature, with the duo answering questions from the electorate rather than going head to head.

According to Jornal do Brasil, the rules had been "imposed by Globo TV", the nationwide channel which hosted the debate, "and imported from the USA",

Forgone conclusion

Jornal also felt there was less media interest than in the past. "The debate generated less interest because of the influence of the opinion polls, which gave the PT candidate [Lula] double the votes of his opponent."

Serra prays for an upset, while Lula banks on emotion

O Globo

A commentator in O Globo reinforced the point, feeling that their "cordial meeting is unlikely to change the course of the presidential campaign".

"The difference of around 30 million votes which separate them in some way took the sting out of the debate."

O Globo says possibly the tensest moment came when the contenders were asked whether they intended to increase the minimum wage in 2003.

"That generated some discord between them," it says. "Lula ducked the question, but when Serra responded, the PT candidate said he had no right to make promises over an issue being handled by the present government."

"Serra prays for an upset, while Lula banks on emotion," says an O Globo headline. Mr Serra's PSDB party had compared the final straight to a football match, "with the Brazilian team snatching victory from the jaws of defeat".

Wishful thinking, feel Brazil's leading commentators.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.