| Brazil vs Serbia |
|---|
| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | Brazil vs Serbia |
| DATE | 25/11/2022 |
| TIME | 12:30 AM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Lusail Stadium |
| LEAGUE | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| FULL TIME |
|---|
| Brazil [2-0] Serbia |
Match Preview of Brazil vs Serbia
Regarded by many as the favourites to go all the way at the 2022 World Cup, five-time world champions Brazil kick off their Group G campaign against Serbia at the Lusail Stadium on Thursday.
The two nations will renew acquaintances with one another after locking horns in the group stage four years ago, when the Selecao came out on top with a 2-0 victory.
Brazil have arrived in Qatar as the only nation in World Cup history to have qualified for every tournament since the first edition back in 1930 following a record-breaking CONMEBOL qualification campaign, collecting more points (45) than ever before after winning 14 and drawing three of their 17 matches.
The Selecao rarely struggle in qualifying and they have had few problems in the group stage over the years too, as they are unbeaten in their last 15 World Cup group fixtures since losing 2-1 to Norway back in 1998.
However, 20 years have passed since Brazil got their hands on their fifth World Cup in Seoul and the pressure is on Tite's talented squad – ranked number one in the world by FIFA – to live up to the pre-tournament hype and improve on their quarter-final exit against Belgium four years ago.
Serbia will be the first nation to put Brazil's credentials to the test, but the Selecao are oozing confidence ahead of Thursday's encounter as they boast a 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions, winning each of their last seven in the process by an aggregate score of 26-2.
Brazil have won both of their previous two meetings against Serbia without conceding, and a slender 1-0 defeat to South American rivals Argentina in the 2021 Copa America final was the last time that Tite's men suffered defeat in any competition.
After crashing out in the group stage at their previous three World Cup finals since gaining independence in 1990, there is a sense of optimism that Serbia can finally reach the knockout rounds for the first time in Qatar.
The Eagles, ranked 25th in the world by FIFA, impressed in UEFA qualifying and topped their group after winning six and drawing two of their eight matches, including a last-gasp 2-1 triumph over Portugal in their final fixture.
Dragan Stojkovic's side then secured promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League earlier this year, courtesy of four wins and a draw from six matches. Indeed, the slender 1-0 defeat against Norway in June is one of only two losses suffered in their last 16 internationals across all competitions.
Our Predicted Lineups
Brazil possible starting lineup:Alisson; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Sandro; Casemiro, Paqueta; Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Jr; Richarlison
Serbia possible starting lineup: starting lineup:V. Milinkovic-Savic; Milenkovic, S. Mitrovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Gudelj, S. Milinkovic-Savic, Kostic; Tadic; Vlahovic, Jovic
Who will win the match?
We say: Brazil 3-1 Serbia. Having watched South American rivals Argentina suffer a shock defeat in their opening group game, Brazil cannot assume that Thursday's contest with Serbia will be a cakewalk and they must be on top of their game if they wish to make the perfect start in Group G.