Last-minute hosts Brazil to show Chile no mercy
The knockout phase of the deeply troubled Copa América 2021 tournament sees Brazil, reluctant and hastily rearranged hosts, take on Chile in the quarter final at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro. Seleção breezed through their pool, winning three and drawing once whilst scoring 10 goals in those four fixtures. Their opponents at the weekend came fourth in their group, and have struggled to make much headway this summer. Read our preview here:
Closely Marq-ed
Head coach Tite will doubtlessly recall what he considers his first XI for this clash, having rested several key men for the final group game against Ecuador, only to be let down slightly by their replacements in a disappointing 1-1 draw. A fluid 4-4-2 shape will be on show in Rio - neither Neymar nor Gabriel Jesus will stick rigidly to playing through the middle up top, with the former shifting leftwards to create space for the marauding midfielders, and the latter joining up with them in the approach play. At the back, Marquinhos will step out of the defence in an effort to force Chile into a tightly packed unit well within their own half, and his propensity to be on the end of set pieces underlines his credentials as the leader of the side.
Vidal so soon
Martín Lasarte has to contend with an ageing backline that will come under immense pressure by the ceaseless forays forward by the men in yellow and green. Added to that, the midfield will be outnumbered if and when the wider players tuck in to allow the full-backs to sprint forwards on the overlap. Arturo Vidal is no longer at the height of his dynamic powers in the heart of the park either, and must turn back the clock if La Roja are to resist the inevitable onslaught. In attack, one of the more interesting stories of the tournament has emerged. Versatile Blackburn Rovers player Ben Brereton (Díaz) answered the call ahead of the summer showpiece, and has stepped up admirably the occasion, scoring against Bolivia and now being the first choice.
Rover and out
Nevertheless, it's hard to see a way that Chile can win. It would take a combination of a severely underperforming Brazil side with the opposite for their adversaries to cause an upset. Whilst far from impossible, betway have odds of 2.62 for Brazil to score more than two goals in the 90 minutes.
