World Cup 2018: Brazil vs Switzerland predicted line-ups and preview – Neymar and Gabriel Jesus to star for Samba boys
Neymar is unsurprisingly the danger man for the 2002 champions who are looking to lift the trophy for a sixth time
THERE is a feeling that World Cup Finals do not really start until Brazil kick off.
The Samba stars are once again the tournament favourites as they look to lift the trophy for a sixth time.
Tite’s team, after a sluggish start, eventually qualified with room to spare, but face a stiff test in the Swiss, currently ranked sixth in the Fifa rankings.
And while this Group E clash will be closer than some are predicting, it would be a major shock if Brazil lost in Rostov on Sunday night.
THE NATION EXPECTS: Brazil are not only expected to win, they are expected to win with style, with all of their superstars supplying the thrills and skills their rivals can only dream of.
The Swiss, despite their lofty Fifa ranking, have aspirations only of following their opponents out of the group phase. That said, they know now is the best time to catch Tite’s titans cold and will have private desires of pulling off a shock win that would put their names down in history.
KEY BATTLES/STAR MEN: All eyes will be on Neymar to see if he has fully recovered from the foot injury that has blighted his season.
He could have seldom wished for a more difficult opponent in Swiss captain Stephan Lichtsteiner, who has just reached his century of international caps and will be looking to embark on his next century with the kind of rugged display that has made him one of Europe’s top right-backs.
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WEAK LINKS: If there is a weak link in the Brazil team then Marcelo may be it. The Real Madrid left-back loves to get forward and is surely one of the best attacking full-backs in the game. But the defensive side of his game…
That is where Switzerland and Xherdan Shaqiri could prosper.
The Swiss midfield is full of worries, none more so than Valon Behrami, whose penchant for diving into tackles could see him carded or sent off before this clash is done.
LIKELY LINE-UPS AND TEAM TALK: Brazil coach Tite will warn his men against complacency after just one defeat in 21 matches. He knows his players have the talent to win, but if they go out there thinking the job is done then they could come unstuck.
Probable team: Alisson; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marcelo; Casemiro, Paulinho, Coutinho; Willian, Jesus, Neymar.
Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic will tell his men to keep it tight in the opening 30 minutes and not let Brazil get too comfortable on the ball. How long they can sustain that pressing for in the Rostov heat remains to be seen.
Probable team: Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Xhaka, Behrami; Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Zuber; Seferovic.
BEST BET: That man Neymar scored Brazil's first goal in the home tournament four years ago, and Sun Bets has him at 5/2 to repeat that.
PREM TSAR IN THE MAKING: Whisper it quietly but we reckon that chap Neymar could do a job in the Premier League. The Brazilian is pacy and powerful, with an eye for goal and with wage demands like his he is surely destined to play in the top flight one day.
THE STAT THAT MATTERS: The last time Brazil lost an opening match of the Finals was 3-1 to Spain in 1934.