Brazil lived up to the hype in the first round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and they come into the knockout stage as the strongest candidates to lift the trophy on July 15.
The Selecão started off with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Switzerland, then they won a dramatic 2-0 game against Costa Rica with both goals coming in stoppage time before finishing with a dominant 2-0 victory over Serbia.
2018 FIFA World Cup: Improving Brazil Squad Heading Into Round of 16 With Momentum
Now the challenge will be against Mexico, a team that nearly missed the Round of 16. Brazil is clearly the favourite. However, there are still some doubts about them. The main concern is Neymar given that he didn’t have a remarkable group stage performance though he is fully recovered from his injury.
The 26-year-old scored one goal in the first round but it was Phillippe Coutinho who really took the team to the next round.
Coutinho scored twice in the group stage as he establishes himself as Brazil’s first option to reach the net.
Neymar was clearly affected by the physical pressure put on him. Every time the Paris Saint-Germain star had the ball, teams fouled him relentlessly. That was hugely evident in their first group game when Switzerland fouled him 10 times.
That forced Coutinho to take more responsibilities and he did an outstanding job in the midfield.
The Strengths
Brazil’s offensive side is one of the best in the tournament as they were able to score without so much help from Neymar.
Paulinho and Casemiro are the perfect duos in the midfield. Both playmakers can also retain the ball and help in the attacking as Paulinho netted the first goal against Serbia. In addition, Douglas Costa and Fernandinho has proved they can help the team coming from the bench.
The defensive side keeps showing up. Centre-back pair Thiago Silva and Miranda have made a great effort to keep the Brazilians’ net protected while goalkeeper Alisson has had strong hands as he only allowed one goal in the group stage.
The Weaknesses
The forwards have not demonstrated the performance expected. Neymar is struggling to dominate the game, Firminho does not help and Gabriel Jesus hasn’t exactly impressed either.
Marcelo’s back spasm injury can be the biggest issue for Brazil. They lack a natural full-back and he can as well be a threat to the opposing defenses.
The Real Madrid star suffered the injury in the ninth minute against Serbia.
Filipe Luis came in for Marcelo, but it’s not the same as Luis plays mostly as a center-back.
It’s still in doubt as to whether Marcelo will be ready for the clash against Mexico.
The Knockout Stage
Brazil will face off against Mexico on July 2 at the Cosmos Arena, Samara, at 18:00 SAMT (UTC+4) [10 a.m. ET].
It will be a complicated match, but if Brazil controls the midfield as expected, they will advance to the quarterfinals for sure.
The concern for Brazil will be El Tri’s cavalcade of attacking threats including Carlos Vela, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, and Andreas Guardado.
