MY ACCOUNT
– Brazil arrived as World Cup favourites and showed their class in a blistering 2-0 defeat of Serbia
– Switzerland have shocked some big names in recent years and are defensively solid
– Recommended bet: Brazil to win and under 2.5 goals
Brazil may have been the last team onto the World Cup dance floor, but they wasted no time in wowing the crowd with some seriously impressive moves.
A strong Serbian side managed to keep up with the Samba Boys for the first half of their opening encounter of Group G, but Tite’s men upped the pace in the second half, found their rhythm and blew the Europeans away.
The 2-0 scoreline might not have been as emphatic as France’s 4-1 defeat of Australia, England’s 6-2 win over Iran or Spain’s 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica, but it felt more significant than all three routs.
Unlike the three teams who had already been on the wrong end of a hiding in the opening week of the World Cup, Serbia were a serious opponent who harboured realistic ambitions of reaching the knockout stages.
But they were left chasing shadows against a slick and skilful Brazil side who could have scored more than twice and produced the goal of the tournament so far with Richarlison’s audacious bicycle kick.
Next up, a Switzerland side who will know they have to be at their resilient best.
Team news
Brazil manager Tite lost two key players in the opening match against Serbia, with right-back Danilo and attacking talisman Neymar both ruled out of the rest of the group stage with ankle injuries.
Tite will be expecting to qualify comfortably from Group G even in the absence of those two players but will be praying that they return for the knockout stages.
Either 39-year-old Dani Alves or, more likely, Eder Militao will deputise at right-back but the Brazil boss may opt to switch his formation around to cover the loss of Neymar.
There had been very slight doubts over the match-fitness of Bruno Guimaraes, Alex Telles, Antony and Richarlison in the build-up to their meeting with Serbia but the latter two both featured and Telles and Guimaraes were fit enough for the bench, so are sure to be ready against Switzerland.
Switzerland manager Murat Yakin has only winger Renato Steffen unavailable with an adductor injury.
The stats
Switzerland have only ever lost one of their four meetings with Brazil, beating them in a 2013 friendly and holding them to a 1-1 draw in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.
Since that meeting at the last World Cup, Brazil have a record of 41 wins, 10 draws and just four defeats in 55 matches.
They are currently on a run of eight successive victories, scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game in that time and conceding just twice.
Switzerland only need to look back eight games to find their last four defeats.
However, during that eight-match sequence they have also beaten European giants Spain and Portugal.
Prediction
Switzerland have shown in recent times that they have the quality and cohesion to upset the very best teams.
They knocked France out of Euro 2020 on penalties, drew home and away against European champions Italy in World Cup qualifying — results that led to the Italians failing to reach Qatar — and beat Spain and Portugal in this year’s Nations League.
There are a few caveats to those results, however.
France were the better team at Euro 2020 but lost their way as much due to complacency as Switzerland’s quality.
And in the low-key Nations League, it is fair to suggest Spain and Portugal were not fully focused as they looked ahead to the far more important World Cup.
Nor was Switzerland’s opening victory against Cameroon particularly convincing as the Africans ran the Swiss close in a 1-0 defeat that could have gone either way.
However, Murat Yakin’s team is well-organised and defensively resolute and they should offer a serious test to a Brazil side shorn of the services of star man Neymar.
Such a talented Brazilian team should still get the job done though.
On recent form, winger Vinicius Junior looks likeliest to step up in Neymar’s absence — he will be a decent addition to any BetBuilder selections — while Ricarlison’s two goals against Serbia highlighted his importance to his national side.
But Brazil will be made to work against a resolute Swiss side and may have to settle for an unspectacular victory — backing Brazil and under 2.5 goals, available at 23/10 with LiveScore Bet, looks the way to go.
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