Brazil will very likely secure their place in the knockout stages of the Copa America if they can overcome Venezuela in Salvador on Tuesday.
Tite’s side, who are strong favourites to win the competition, needed a flurry of second-half goals to overcome Bolivia in the tournament’s opening match last weekend, but two from Philippe Coutinho and a late contribution from Everton sealed a comfortable 3-0 win.
Venezuela, meanwhile, ground out a scoreless draw against Peru that leaves the door open for Group A’s other three teams to claim a place in the quarter-finals.
| Game | Brazil vs Venezuela |
| Date | Tuesday, June 18 |
| Time | 1:30am BST / 8:30pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be watched on Telemundo, ESPN+ and 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 |
|---|---|
| Telemundo / Globo TV Internacional | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1 and can be streamed via Premier Player HD.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier Player HD |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Brazil squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Alisson, Cassio, Ederson |
| Defenders | Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marquinhos, Filipe Luis, Alex Sandro, Dani Alves, Eder, Fagner |
| Midfielders | Casemiro, Arthur, Coutinho, Allan, Fernandinho, Paqueta, Willian |
| Forwards | Neres, Jesus, Everton, Firmino, Richarlison |
Neymar dropped out of the squad pre-tournament after suffering ankle ligament damage early in a friendly win over Qatar.
Otherwise, Brazil have few serious concerns; Arthur is carrying a knock approaching this encounter but is expected to win his race against time to feature.
Brazil starting XI: Alisson; Daniel Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Filipe Luis; Arthur, Casemiro, Coutinho; Richarlison, Firmino, Neres
| Position | Venezuela squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Farinez, Graterol, Romo |
| Defenders | Villanueva, Osorio, Chancellor, Rosales, Hernandez, Feltscher |
| Midfielders | Moreno, Herrera, Machis, Rincon, Savarino, Juanpi, Seijas, Murillo, Soteldo, Figuera |
| Forwards | Aristeguieta, Martinez, Rondon |
Adalberto Penaranda of Watford dropped out of the squad on the eve of the tournament after suffering a muscular injury in his leg following a 3-1 loss to Mexico in a friendly match.
There are worries over LA Galaxy defender Rolf Feltscher, who spent the duration of the opening match on the bench.
Luis Mago is suspended after he was dismissed against Peru; he is their only natural left-back and could be replaced by Feltscher, who has filled the role for his country previously.
Possible Venezuela starting XI: Farinez; Rosales, Chancellor, Villanueva, Feltscher; Moreno; Savarino, Herrera, Rincon, Murillo; Rondon
Betting & Match Odds
Brazil are massive 1/8 favourites to win this match with Bet365. Venezuela can be backed at 22/1, while a draw is available at 13/2.
Match Preview
Miguel SCHINCARIOL
There may be no Neymar in Brazil’s ranks due to injury, but there is still a burden of expectation for the Selecao to perform strongly on home soil during the Copa America.
It took them time to get going in their opening game against Bolivia, but once in their stride they looked formidable as they strode to a 3-0 victory thanks to second-half strikes from Philippe Coutinho, who netted twice, and Everton.
The dominant display after the break offered catharsis on both a team level for Brazil and a personal one for Coutinho, who felt he had something to prove after a difficult 18 months since moving to Barcelona in January 2018.
“I had a tough time on the field because I have not performed as expected, but football is like that and I'm working hard to improve,” he admitted after breaking his nation’s shackles in the opening match.
“It's a very happy day to have scored two goals, to have helped the team and come out with a victory.”
Tite, meanwhile, was glad of his team’s reaction after a difficult start to the competition in Sao Paulo.
“Having been at big clubs, when you sometimes don't produce, then don't expect the fans to understand. They will boo,” he said.
“When you pass the ball along the back, from full back to central defender to goalkeeper, the first thing you hear is ‘BOOOOOOO!’
“We need to understand. If we get forward and create chances then they will applaud.”
Venezuela will have found the reaction of the Brazilian crowd instructive and will surely seek to stifle the tournament hosts just as they successfully nullified the threat of Peru in their opening encounter.
Indeed, after a stunning 3-0 win over the USA in a pre-tournament friendly, they are now chasing a third-successive cleansheet, albeit in trickier circumstances.
Their confidence is up, though, and even a point would give them a strong chance of making the knockout stages – their goal at the beginning of the tournament.
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