BRAZIL are facing Switzerland in a huge World Cup clash RIGHT NOW!
Star man Neymar will play NO part, with Man Utd star Fred coming in as Tite shores up his midfield.
Richarlison’s double – including a goal of the tournament contender – game the Samba Boys a 2-0 win over Serbia.
Switzerland beat Cameroon 1-0 in their opener thanks to a strike from Breel Embolo.
- Kick-off: 4pm
- TV channel: ITV
- Live stream: ITV X
- Brazil XI: Alisson; Militao, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Fred, Casemiro, Paqueta; Raphinha, Richarlison, Vinicius
- Switzerland XI: Sommer; Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka, Rieder; Sow, Vargas, Embolo
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Follow ALL of the latest updates below….
7 Brazil 0-0 Switzerland
Switzerland will look to take advantage of any set-pieces against Brazil.
The Selecao are definitely the kind of team you don’t want to allow to play their game, though
5 Brazil 0-0 Switzerland
Brazil have started strong and are trying to impose their rhythm from the get go, as expected.
Switzerland are confident and keep their lines together against their strong opponents
2 Brazil 0-0 Switzerland
And another quick reminder:
Switzerland manager Murat Yakin appears to have opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Brazil.
Yann Sommer starts between the sticks with Silvan Widmer at right-back and Ricardo Rodriguez on the other side, while Nico Elvedi and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji link up at centre-back.
Nottingham Forest’s Remo Freuler and captain Granit Xhaka of Arsenal team up in midfield with Mohamed Sow at No10.
Fabian Rieder plays down the right with Ruben Vargas on the other side, while Breel Ambolo leads the attack
1 Brazil 0-0 Switzerland
Just a quick reminder:
Brazil manager Tite appears to have opted for a 4-3-3 formation against Switzerland.
Liverpool’s Alisson starts in goal with Eder Militao replacing Danilo at right-back and Alex Sandro on the other side, while Marquinhos and captain Thiago Silva of Chelsea link up at centre-back.
West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta as well as Manchester United duo Casemiro and Fred, who takes Neymar’s place in the starting line-up, team up in midfield.
Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Tottenham’s Richarlison spearhead the attack
Brazil 0-0 Switzerland
Peep!
Off we go in Qatar!!!
Her come the teams!!!
The 974 Stadium is ready to host the World Cup clash between Brazil and Switzerland.
Captain Thiago Silva leads the Selecao out the pitch while Arsenal star Granit Xhaka dons the Swiss armband.
The two teams line up on the pitch for their national anthems in Qatar.
Not long to go now…!
Neymar injury latest
Brazil superstar Neymar is sidelined with an ankle injury he picked up against Serbia after his foot rolled following a tough tackle.
The Paris Saint-Germain star limped off in his country’s World Cup opener and it has been confirmed he will miss the rest of the group stage after damaging ankle ligaments – team doctors believe the 30-year-old will be out of action for at least a week.
But the star forward reassured all of Brazil he will return and help his team win the World Cup with a defiant statement on Instagram.
Neymar posted: “The pride and love I feel wearing the shirt is inexplicable. If God gave me the opportunity to choose a country to be born in, it would be BRAZIL.
“Nothing in my life was given or easy, I always had to chase after my dreams and my goals. Never wishing someone harm but helping those in need. Today has become one of the hardest moments of my career… and again in a World Cup.
“I have an injury yes, it’s annoying, it’s going to hurt but I’m sure I’ll have the chance to come back because I’ll do my best to help my country , my team-mates and myself. Long wait for the enemy to take me down like this? NEVER! I am the SON OF THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE and my FAITH is endless”
Qatar World Cup controversy
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been marred by controversy due to serious allegations of human rights breaches.
The Guardian claimed last year that 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died since the Arab country’s successful World Cup bid in 2010.
The number is based on figures provided by the respective countries’ embassies in Qatar.
However, the Qatar government said the total was misleading, claiming accident records were 37 deaths among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites between 2014 and 2020, and only three of which were “work-related”.
However, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said that was an underestimate.
Serious questions have also been risen over the treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community as homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable by incarceration or even death.
Controversy ensued after FIFA banned the One Love armband that England, Wales, Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland were supposed to wear in support of the gay and trans community
Word from the ground
Let’s hear from SunSport’s man on the ground Phil Thomas after the line-ups came out:
It’s only when you run through some of the options open to Tite – the Professor – that you realise losing the injured Neymar isn’t the disaster it would be for everyone else.
No coach is as spoilt for choice quite like the Brazil gaffer. So as much as he tried a touch of the “woe is me” in the run-up to this game, no-one was buying it.
Brazil aren’t just hot favourites, they’re positively scorching ones, and another win on top of the opener against Serbia will ease them through with a game to spare.
The Swiss aren’t here as tourists, though, and are bullish about their chances of causing an upset.
Xherdan Shaqiri has never been short of confidence or self belief and has heavily talked up his nation’s chances.
Bold and brave, or crazy to tweak the tail of the tiger? Come 9pm tonight we’ll have the answer…but I know what the clever money’s on.
Phil Thomas
Time for predictions
Brazil pose as favourites ahead of this crunch World Cup clash with Switzerland.
However, Murat Yakin’s men are well up for it and have been enjoying a good run against the Brazilians.
The Selecao are also without star man Neymar, who is out with an ankle injury.
What do you think? Give us your prediction below:
Switzerland formation
Switzerland manager Murat Yakin appears to have opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Brazil.
Yann Sommer starts between the sticks with Silvan Widmer at right-back and Ricardo Rodriguez on the other side, while Nico Elvedi and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji link up at centre-back.
Nottingham Forest’s Remo Freuler and captain Granit Xhaka of Arsenal team up in midfield with Mohamed Sow at No10.
Fabian Rieder plays down the right with Ruben Vargas on the other side, while Breel Ambolo leads the attack
Brazil formation
Brazil manager Tite appears to have opted for a 4-3-3 formation against Switzerland.
Liverpool’s Alisson starts in goal with Eder Militao replacing Danilo at right-back and Alex Sandro on the other side, while Marquinhos and captain Thiago Silva of Chelsea link up at centre-back.
West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta as well as Manchester United duo Casemiro and Fred, who takes Neymar’s place in the starting line-up, team up in midfield.
Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Tottenham’s Richarlison spearhead the attack
Switzerland subs
12 Omlin, 21 Kobel, 24 Koehn, 2 Fernandes, 6 Zakaria, 9 Seferovic, 11 Steffen, 14 Aebischer, 16 Fassnacht, 18 Comert, 20 Frei, 22 Schaer, 23 Shaqiri, 26 Jashari
Brazil subs
12 Weverton, 23 Ederson, 2 Danilo, 13 Alves, 15 Fabinho, 16 Telles, 17 Guimaraes, 18 Jesus, 19 Antony, 21 Rodrygo, 22 Everton, 24 Bremer, 25 Pedro, 26 Martinelli
Switzerland XI
Sommer, Widmer, Elvedi, Akanji, Embolo, Freuler, Xhaka, Rodriguez, Sow, Vargas, Rieder
Brazil XI
Alisson, Eder Militao, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro, Casemiro, Fred, Pacqueta, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Richarlison
The team sheets are in!!!
Switzerland stats
Switzerland are second in Group G after also beating Cameroon 1-0 in the World Cup opener.
The Swiss have reason to feel confident as they have won two of their last four matches – of which they lost one – against Brazil across all competitions.
But the A-Team have only won just one of their eight matches against a South American country at the World Cup, of which they lost five – the only team they defeated was Ecuador in 2014.
Switerland are aiming to win their opening two World Cup games for the first time in their history.
The only other time they won two straight games in the competition was in 2006 against Togo and South Korea
Brazil stats
Brazil are top of Group G with a better goal difference than Switzerland – Tite’s man defeated Serbia 2-0 thanks to a brace by Tottenham star Richarlison.
The Selecao are unbeaten in their last 16 group stage matches at the World Cup.
No team has ever gone 17 without defeat at this stage of the competition before.
But the Brazilians haven’t beaten the Swiss since their friendly 2-1 victory in 2006 as they lost one of their next two meetings across all competitions
Head-to-Head
Brazil and Switzerland’s first ever encounter took place way back in 1950 when they faced off in the World Cup and drew 2-2 in Sao Paulo.
Since then, the two sides have faced off a total of nine times with the Selecao winning a majority of three times, compared to the Swiss’ two victories.
The two nations also faced off in the World Cup’s group stage in 2018 in a match that ended 1-1.
That means none of them have managed to emerge victorious from a World Cup match against each other.
Switzerland are one of three countries, alongside Portugal and Hungary, that Brazil have faced twice in the esteemed competition without ever beating
Good afternoon from Qatar
Welcome to SunSport’s live blog coverage of the World Cup clash between Brazil and Switzerland at the 974 Stadium.
Both teams are looking to seal qualification to the Last 16 after Group G opponents Cameroon and Serbia’s entertaining 3-3 draw.
But Brazil manager Tite will have to do it without star man Neymar, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury he picked up against Serbia after his foot rolled following a tough tackle.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar then limped off and it has been confirmed he will miss the rest of the group stage after damaging ankle ligaments.
Team doctors believe the forward will be out for at least a week and Tite will have to find a replacement.
But the Brazilian tactician has Tottenham star Richarlison available to spearhead his attack after a fantastic brace against the Serbians.
Danilo will also miss the rest of the group stage with a similar injury as Neymar and that means 39-year-old Dani Alves could come in and appear in his first World Cup match since 2014.
However, it is likelier that Eder Militao will start at right-back for one of the competition’s biggest favourites.
Switzerland manager Murat Yakin, on the other hand, is not dealing with any fresh injury concerns ahead of this crunch clash.
But Yakin’s recent change in formation means there is no longer room for Fabian Schar to start as a third centre-back, and thus the duo of Nico Elvedi and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji are preferred over the Newcastle ace
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk