Brazil and Switzerland conclude the June 17 schedule at the 2018 World Cup in what will be a contest of two of the winningest teams in world football over the past couple of years.
Kick off
Sunday (June 17), 20:00, Rostov Arena (Rostov)
Head-to-head
Other than two friendlies, Brazil and Switzerland have officially met only once. It happened during the 1950 World Cup and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Preview
Since the beginning of 2016, this Brazil squad has lost 2 out of 27 official matches. The first one was against Peru in Copa America (0-1) and the second one was a friendly match with Argentina (0-1) a year ago. Since that game, Brazil has won 8 and drawn 3, conceding only twice in the process. In other words, Tite’s squad is really, really good. The absence of Neymar could’ve blunt La Seleccao’s sword, but with him back, Brazil is the odds-on favourite to win the World Cup trophy for a record 6th time. With a lineup that includes him, Gabriel Jesus, Coutinho, Willian, Casemiro and Paulinho (or Fernandihno), this team has the weapons to not only win but destroy opponents.
Brazil’s arsenal won’t scare the Swiss. They are one of the most organized and composed teams participating in this year’s World Cup. Since suffering that painful Euro 2016 penalty loss to Poland in the first knockout round, Vladimir Petkovic’s squad went on a 10-game winning streak that ended with the loss to Portugal. It sent them to the European qualifying playoffs, where a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty kick in the first leg decided the outcome versus Greece. Switzerland’s preparation friendlies resulted in three wins, including a 6-0 thrashing of Panama, and a draw against Spain.
This Swiss army knife of different nationalities can hurt you in a variety of ways and is also protected from all sides. It’s what has led them to the 6th place in FIFA’s rankings and what makes them such a tough opponent. Most of the 23 team members play in Europe’s top 5 leagues, with Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez and Haris Seferovic being the most influential ones.
Predictions
This match will be a perfect test for both sides. It will let us know how good Brazil’s attack actually is, while at the same time it will give us a sneak peek of Switzerland’s real strength. The youth aspect of the European side’s defence concerns me. The defensive midfielders will help, but I still have the feeling that the Brazilians hold a decisive edge there, thus I’m giving them the three points.
