Brazil will get the first stage of their rebuilding process following a disappointing World Cup underway when they face Saudi Arabia in a friendly fixture taking place in Riyadh.
Tite has brought stars such as Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho to Saudi Arabia but, with one eye looking ahead to another friendly match against Argentina, he will be likely to assess his squad and probe with different formations.
Saudi Arabia will have the chance to prepare for the upcoming Asian Cup in January with the game against Brazil, and also a friendly against Iraq next week.
| Game | Saudi Arabia vs Brazil |
| Date | Friday, October 12 |
| Time | 7pm BST / 2pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcasted or livestreamed.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Saudi Arabia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Al-Owais, Al-Bukhari, Al-Rubeai, Malakeyah |
| Defenders | Abdulghani, Hawsawi, Al-Shahrani, Al-Breik, Al Mowalad, Al-Fatil, Al-Bulaihi, Al-Khabrani |
| Midfielders | Al-Shehri, Al-Faraj, Al-Dawsari, Al-Mogahwi, Otayf, Bahebri, Kanno, Al-Khaibari, Al-Jebreen, Al-Bishi, Al-Habib, Al-Khulaif, Gharib |
| Forwards | Assiri, Camara, Adam |
The biggest surprise within the Saudi camp is the recall of 41-year-old left-back Hussein Abdul Ghani into the team.
Ghani will return to the side after a four-year absence, and previously faced the Seleccao twice – in 1997 and 1999.
Potential Saudi Arabia XI: Al-Owais; Abdulghani, Hawsawi, Al-Shahrani, Al-Breik; Al-Shehri, Al-Faraj, Al-Dawsari, Al-Mogahwi, Otayf; Assiri, Camara.
| Position | Brazil players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Alisson, Ederson, Phelipe |
| Defenders | Miranda, Luis, Marquinhos, Danilo, Sandro, Fabinho, Militao, Pablo |
| Midfielders | Coutinho, Augusto, Casemiro, Fred, Arthur, Wallace |
| Forwards | Neymar, Moura, Firmino, Jesus, Richarlison, Malcom |
Tite is predicted to experiment with his side ahead of a massive friendly fixture against Argentina, but will be expected to slot Jesus straight into attack – while the likes of Ederson, Neymar and Coutinho are expected to be handed starts.
Real Madrid defender Marcelo has been ruled out of the meetings due to injury.
Potential Brazil XI: Ederson; Sandro, Pablo, Marquinhos, Fabinho; Augusto, Casemiro, Fred; Coutinho, Neymar, Jesus.
Betting & Match Odds
Brazil are priced at 1/10 to win according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 9/1. A win for Saudi Arabia is priced at 18/1.
Match Preview
Pedro Martins/MoWa
Tottenham forward Lucas Moura has earned a recall to the national side after being away for two years, and the likes of Richarlison are also expected to be called upon at some stage in the game – after the young Everton starlet was handed his first call-up during the last international break, scoring against El Salvador on his first start.
Brazil won both of their friendly matches against the US national team and El Salvador last month but will still be nursing the pain of being eliminated at the quarter-final stage in the World Cup at the hands of Belgium.
Saudi Arabia will be busy preparing for their participation in the upcoming Asian Cup, hosted by neighbours United Arab Emirates, after crashing out of the World Cup in the group stage. They opened their Russia campaign with a 5-0 hammering by the hosts in the opening fixture, but managed to beat Egypt 2-1 to finish third in the group.
Manager Juan Antonio Pizzi will be eager to improve the form of his team following their showing in Russia and a recent 2-2 friendly draw against Moldova.
A Saudi Arabia coach has never, historically, continued with the national team past a World Cup campaign held earlier in the year, but Pizzi has the backing of the Saudi Arabian FF to earn the side their fourth Asian Cup title in January.
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