Brazil play Paraguay in the first Copa America quarter-final at Porto Alegre’s Arena do Gremio on Friday.
The tournament finally seemed to catch light for the host nation in their final group stage match against Peru, with goals from Casemiro, Roberto Firmino, Everton Soares, Dani Alves and Willian propelling them to a fine 5-0 win.
Paraguay, meanwhile, have reached the last eight without winning a game – draws against Argentina and Qatar sufficient to guide them through as one of the best-ranked third placed sides.
Eduardo Berizzo’s men will have to raise their game significantly if they are to cause an upset.
| Game | Brazil vs Paraguay |
| Date | Thursday, June 27 |
| Time | 1:30am BST / 8:30pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Globo TV Internacional / UNIVERSO | 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 |
After turning in easily their most impressive display of the tournament against Peru, it would be surprising to see Brazil make significant changes for this clash. Tite registers no serious injury problems in his squad, though Neymar is, of course, absent due to an ankle injury sustained pre-tournament and Richarlison is out with mumps.
Fernandinho has been nursing a knee problem but is expected to be fit, but Casemiro is suspended for the match, leaving a starting place for Allan.
Possible Brazil starting XI: Alisson; Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Filipe Luis; Arthur, Alan; Jesus, Coutinho, Everton; Firmino
| Position | Paraguay squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Silva, Fernandez, Aguilar |
| Defenders | Gomez, Valdez, Piris, Alonso, Balbuena, Escobar, Arzamendia, Torres |
| Midfielders | Sanchez, Perez, Rojas, Ortiz, Almiron, Rojas |
| Forwards | Cardozo, Romero, Gonzalez, Santander, Dominguez, Iturbe |
Paraguay register no significant concerns ahead of their quarter-final match up with Brazil.
After making only one change between their group matches against Argentina and Colombia, Eduardo Berizzo seems likely to field a squad with a similar look.
Possible Paraguay starting XI: Fernandez; Piris, Gomez, Alonso, Arzamendia; Sanchez, J. Rojas; Gonzalez, Almiron, M. Rojas; Santander
Betting & Match Odds
Argentina are priced at 9/20 with bet365 to bounce back and win this game. Paraguay are 13/2 outsiders, while a draw is available at 16/5.
Match Preview
Alexandre Schneider
As 2019 Copa America hosts and favourites, there is a good deal of pressure on Brazil to perform to a high standard.
They fell short of that in their opening two matches and were notably booed off after a scoreless draw against Venezuela failed to satisfy the Salvador crowd.
Tite’s side responded emphatically against a capable Peru team, though, producing their best performance in some time to record a thumping 5-0 win. While the samba spirit of the Selecao has often lamented to have been lost, it returned in spades last Saturday.
“It was one of our best games,” the coach confirmed. “We have an average of 600 passes per game, but our score was low. Today we improved our effectiveness.
Now the coach wants to see that level replicated in the days ahead as Brazil go chasing a ninth Copa America crown.
“It is a game that must be continued,” he said. “We have to continue at the same pace, because this is our characteristic, and of course gives us confidence.
“We are here to win and we want to present good football. We want to do our best and we are happy about it, we always want to have the satisfaction of working and absorbing what we have done good and bad.”
Brazil will be wary of Paraguay, despite the fact their opponents have yet to taste victory in the competition this season and have only one win to their credit in 11 matches since October 2017.
Indeed, Paraguay have the poorest record of any quarter-finalist since the 12-team format was adopted in 1993. They have been here before, though, drawing all three group matches in 2011 before eliminating Brazil on penalties in the quarter-finals before reaching the final. In Chile four years later, they similarly eliminated the Selecao on spot kicks.
With no extra-time in the last eight at this competition and a difficult Porto Alegre pitch as their ally, it would be little surprise to see Paraguay make Brazil break them down and play for penalties, a move that would go against the instincts of Berizzo, who has been trying to get his side to defend with a high line.
At this stage of a competition, though, aesthetics are of secondary importance to the result, even for a nation as steeped in the beautiful game as Brazil.
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