Brazil V Colombia
Saturday 7th September 2019 – 02:30 Kick-Off
International Friendly
Pick: Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 24/25
Bookmaker: MarathonBet
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57/100 | 31/10 | 49/10 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 5th September 2019 at 20:00)
Preview: Two months on from the Copa America, Brazil – who would be crowned champions for a ninth time in that tournament – take on Colombia in an international friendly. This fixture will be contested on neutral territory, with the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, USA staging a first meeting between the two nations for two years.
Brazil V Colombia Betting – 22Bet
Brazil Preview – No stopping Copa America champs?
The recently crowned South American champions are in action here in what will be their first outing since that tournament, tackling a continental adversary in the shape of Colombia. La Seleção boast a formidable record versus their opponents, losing on one of the last seventeen occasions these two nations have clashed (W10 D6 L1).
Some pride was restored at the recent Copa America, with Brazil getting their hands on the continent’s biggest international prize for the ninth time – though it was their first since 2007. It has been a much longer wait for a World Cup triumph, however, which only added to the relief when Brazil prevailed over Peru (3-1) in that aforementioned final as it went some way in silencing those who deemed the performance at last year’s World Cup in Russia unacceptable.
Tite’s Brazil have been a team possessed ever since those finals in Russia, going sixteen subsequent matches without losing (W13 D3). No fewer than eleven of their thirteen victories in that sequence were achieved without conceding a goal as the defence continues to supplement an outfield that can be prone to the occasional flat performance – they were unable to breach both rearguards of Venezuela and Paraguay en route to Copa success.
The sight of Neymar returning to the international fold following a lengthy spell on the sidelines is a welcome one therefore. The manager now has a decision to make, though, as to whether he keeps faith with the industrious Roberto Firmino, who has played an integral role in the absence of the PSG attacker and whose form at club level this season has been excellent.
Colombia Preview – Los Cafeteros to shine without their stars?
The Copa America was a mixed bag for Colombia, who showcased a tremendous amount of promise when topping their group with a flawless record of three wins out of three before coming unstuck at the first knockout hurdle. Their exit in the end was settled by the finest of margins, losing on penalties to Chile at the same stage the eventual winners, Brazil, edged through to the next round via the same method.
Two months later and the Colombians are finally able to test themselves against La Seleção, who are now officially the best international side on the continent. This would have been a far more intriguing match-up had it been in that final, as opposed to this mere friendly, as Los Cafeteros were shaping up as every inch the potential finalists following tidy victories over Argentina (2-0), Qatar (1-0) and Paraguay (1-0).
In fact, all of their last six winning outcomes were accompanied by a clean sheet. Which is testament to the current defensive resolve of this team. Furthermore, it is just two defeats in the last twelve games (W9 D1 L2), since succumbing to England in another penalty shoot-out at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup.
The big news regarding squad announcement centres around the omission of individuals who have become synonymous with the national side in recent times. James Rodriguez was the focal hub of the team at the Copa America, leaving with two assists from his four appearances, but the Real Madrid attacker is not part of the travelling party here along with striker Radamel Falcao.
Brazil V Colombia Key Facts:
- Brazil are currently unbeaten in sixteen matches (W13 D3), with 11 of their last 13 victories being ‘to nil’.
- Colombia have not been beaten inside 90 minutes in six fixtures (W5 D1), with their last six wins accompanied by a clean sheet.
- Two of the previous three meetings were won by Brazil, although the most recent – in September 2017 – produced a 1-1 draw.
Betting Summary
There could be a swagger about Brazil in their first match since collecting their ninth Copa America. Especially with star man Neymar back in the fold. Yet this has often been a pragmatic Brazil, one which is more likely to win by the odd goal or two whilst not conceding than it is blowing teams out of the water. Eleven of their last thirteen victories were accompanied by a clean sheet, with seven producing no more than two goals in the match.
The same could also be said for Colombia, who were unfortunate in only making it as far as the quarter-finals at the Copa America. Prior to losing on penalties, “The Coffee Growers” had won all three group games without shipping a single goal, which now means each of their previous six victories were ‘to nil’.
The overriding theme has focused on two well-organised and resolute rearguards, with these teams having become specialists in shutting out their opponents. Therefore, despite an abundance of attacking quality set to be on show, this could be a match-up in which defenders shine.
