Brazil will look to bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 loss to Morocco in their last international break when they take on Guinea in yet another friendly on Saturday evening.
Brazil will face Guinea on Saturday evening in a bid to cap off a mixed international year with back-to-back friendly wins. They come into this game on the back of a 2-1 loss to Morocco in their most recent game and will be keen to get back to winning ways.
Tite parted ways with the Selecao following a disappointing World Cup campaign, having been many people’s favourites for the competition. Ramon Menezes, the nation’s Under-20 boss, has been tasked with temporarily leading Brazil through a transitional phase before they reach a final decision over a permanent replacement for Tite.
It seems highly unlikely that renowned names like Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Enrique, who the Brazilian Football Federation has been trying to lure into taking over the job, will join until 2024. Brazil have their work cut out; decide who the next manager will be and what the core looks like for Brazil’s next cycle.
Brazil will next travel to Portugal for a second friendly against Senegal at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on Tuesday, June 20th. Meanwhile, Guinea enter this fixture at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium having just endured a narrow 2-1 defeat to African heavyweights Egypt.
However, Kaba Diawara’s side would be buoyed by their positive showing against Egypt. Also, back-to-back wins over Ethiopia prior to that mean they are on the brink of securing a top-two spot in their Africa Cup of Nations qualification group.
They need just one point from their last group game in Malawi to qualify for the Finals, and this match against world giant Brazil will be utilised as a prep game for that crucial continental decider.
Team News & Tactics
Brazil
Joelinton is settling into life with the Brazil national team nicely 🇧🇷🔥#NUFC pic.twitter.com/uyI8lLQI4t
— The Chronicle (@ChronicleNUFC) June 14, 2023
Ramon Menezes continues to act as interim coach and has named a fairly inexperienced squad. There could be potential debuts for players like Joelinton, Malcom, Ayrton Lucas, and Andre.
Needless to say, Menezes has one of the world’s most formidable squads at his disposal to pick his starting XI from, having called the nation’s star men back into the squad, although he cannot count on injured Paris Saint-Germain attacker Neymar (ankle injury) for the RCDE Stadium clash.
Alisson Becker picks himself up between the sticks, with Brazil lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. AS Roma’s Roger Ibanez could partner Eder Militao at the heart of the defence. AS Monaco’s in-demand right-back Vanderson will likely pip Danilo as the right-back, with UEFA Europa League winner Alex Telles starting on the left flank.
Casemiro will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. And the 30-year-old will have defensive support from Bruno Guimaraes, who could finally be handed a chance to impress. The 25-year-old will also look to control the proceedings with his wide array of passing skills, with Lucas Paqueta providing the forward thrust from the advanced midfielder role.
Joelinton will be the bench option. But his versatility in multiple midfield positions means he can feature here in some capacity, which is nothing more than what he deserves following his career-resurrecting form with Newcastle United.
Real Madrid attackers Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior will cause chaos with their effortless dribbling on their respective flanks. Finally, Richarlison, who got on the scoresheet only once this Premier League season, will lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Vanderson, Militao, Ibanez, Telles; Paqueta, Casemiro, Guimaraes; Rodrygo, Richarlison, Vinicius Junior
Guinea
Valencia centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby sustained an injury against Egypt and will likely miss this game. Meanwhile, Young Boys defender Mohamed Ali Camara will have to be assessed late before the game, having missed the majority of the second half of the campaign in Switzerland with a torn meniscus.
Guinea will feel hard done by in their last game as they took the lead versus 2021 runners-up Egypt, only to succumb to a 2-1 defeat courtesy of a 79th-minute winner.
Guinea have a very interesting team, and Diawara could name his strongest side after they just pushed Egypt for 90 minutes three days earlier. A man to watch in the Guinea side will be recently released Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita. The Guinea captain did not have the best season at club level, but his presence is so valuable for the Guinean national team.
Lokomotiv Moscow striker Francois Kamano, who has 42 senior caps for Guinea, should lead the attack, alongside Morgan Guilavogui and 27-year-old Serhou Guirassy, who has been in fine scoring form for Stuttgart this season with 14 goals to his name from 29 outings, while he also found the back of the net against Egypt.
At the defensive end of the pitch, Antoine Conte, Saidou Sow, and Sylla have started the last two games for Guinea and should retain their roles in the XI, with Camara in for the injured Diakhaby likely to be the only change at the back.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kone; Conte, Sow, Camara, Sylla; Diawara, Moriba; Guilavogui, Keita, Kamano; Guirassy
Key Stats
- This is the first-ever meeting between these two sides.
- Richarlison has been involved in 20 friendly matches for Brazil, scoring an impressive nine goals.
- Two of Guinea’s past five games had more than three goals in them.
- Guinea have won just three games from their most recent 10 outings across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Bruno Guimaraes
Given his form for Newcastle United this past season, Bruno Guimaraes deserves his chance to get a consistent run of games with the Brazilian national team. There were increased calls from among the Selecao faithful to see Guimaraes at the World Cup in Qatar. But he was ultimately overlooked by Tite, who preferred Fred over him.
Casemiro and Fabinho will all be in their mid-30s by the time the next World Cup cycle comes around. And with no apparent defensive midfield replacement on the horizon, it is high time for Brazil to think carefully about the future and test Guimaraes in that role so he is able to take his place as the vital cog in the Brazilian midfield for the coming years.
He is the perfect definition of a hybrid No. 6 and is the perfect fit for the anchor man role at the heart of the pitch; tasked with defending aggressively and recovering possession, his greatest strength is his ability to turn defence into attack through both his extraordinary range of passing, ball progression, and his dribbling, which is something both Casemiro and Fabinho both lack in their more defensive-minded playing styles.
Prediction
Brazil 3-1 Guinea
Brazil are the overwhelming favourites for this game, and we expect them to go all guns blazing at the African side. While Guinea have named a strong squad, they will have a mountain to climb against a star-studded Brazil side that should have too much quality to handle.
The likes of Richarlison, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo are likely to make life difficult for the opposition backline, meaning that anything but a routine victory would be a big surprise. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for Ramon Menezes and his charges.