Starting this Thursday, Neymar will seek to guide the Brazilian team towards the conquest of the World Cup after 20 years. The tough Serbia stands as the first obstacle of the ’10’ and Brazil towards the six-time world championship.
The work before a known rivalwhom they beat 2-0 in the group stage of Russia-2018, It doesn’t seem easy: the Serbs carry in their backpack having sent the Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
And with the precedent of the bump in Saudi Arabia over Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Tuesday, there is no margin to be confident on Thursday at the Lusail stadium (10:00 p.m. local time, 4:00 p.m. in Paraguay).
This game “serves as an analysis, as a reflection. There is no greatness or greater or lesser facilities,” said the Brazilian coach, tite.
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However, the ‘Verdeamarela’ earned the nickname of favorite to win the trophyafter dominating the South American qualifier and dragging a unbeatable in 15 games (12 victories, seven of them successive, and three draws).
“We went through difficult times, but we got through them. It hurt a lot to lose the 2014 and 2018 World Cupsbut now our opportunity has arrived”, assured the attacker richarlison.
– In the wake of Pelé –
The main card to raise the sixth world titlethe first since 2002, won by Ronaldo and company, wears the ’10’ in her back.
At 30 years old, neymar arrives in great shape to his third World Cup (Brazil-2014 and Russia-2018) after a lofty start to the season at Paris Saint-Germain.
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In addition to bathing in football’s most coveted glory, conquering Qatar, the star can position himself as a firm candidate for the elusive Ballon d’Or, another of his great desires.
And if he maintains the scoring streak that he exhibited in the qualifier, where he was the second top scorer (8), behind the current player from Cerro Porteño Marcelo Moreno Martins (10), can exceed Pele As the Brazil’s top gunner.
‘O rei’, the only three-time world champion (1958, 1962, 1970), celebrated 77 times against national teams, twice more than his pupil.
– “Surprises are possible” –
Although it shows solidity and manual regularity, the ‘scratch’ drags ghosts that increase the pressure on a selection that only admits to winning: two decades of World Cup drought, the humiliating 7-1 against Germany in the semifinals of Brazil-2014 and the defeat against Argentina in the final of the Copa América-2021, no less than in the Maracana.
Brazil “has a golden generation right now”said this Wednesday the Serbian coach, Dragan Stojkovic. But “we are not afraid of any team.”
Serbia threatens to hurt the five-time champions, especially after recovering from injuries to the lethal offensive duo formed by Aleksandar Mitrovic Y dusan vlahovicauthors of 19 of the 31 goals (61%) scored by the ‘Águilas’ in the Euro Cup and the League of Nations.
And as well as having other dangerous men such as Dusan Tadic, Luka Jovic and Filip Kostic (although his presence is doubtful due to a muscle injury), the Serbs were emboldened by the Saudi example.
“That game is a sample of why football is beautiful and that surprises are possiblesaid midfielder Filip Djuricic. “Brazilians have flaws, we know what they are“.
