Brazil will look to improve its fortunes in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying as it makes the trip to take on Venezuela.
Fernando Batista will want something special from his Venezuela side when they host Brazil on Thursday. This nation has never qualified for the finals in its history, and this could be their chance, considering how well they have fared compared to the qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
To assert this belief, Venezuela have shown promising form at home in this campaign, as they have held the likes of Argentina and Uruguay during this run. They have had a few wobbles, and their away form needs massive improvements.
However, Batista will worry about the away form some other day as he has a home clash with Brazil to focus on. Their recent losses to Bolivia and Paraguay have pushed Venezuela out of the top seven for now, although they are only a point away from playoff spots. Hence, there is plenty of optimism heading into this clash, as the home fans will be hoping to see another positive result against a big gun.
Brazil, on the other hand, need improvements on all fronts, as some of their recent results might mask those deficiencies. For instance, they had a winnable list of fixtures during the most recent international break. Although they had to rely on a Luiz Henrique late goal to beat bottom-placed Chile, they did put four past Peru.
Those two recent wins have brought some relief to under-pressure manager Dorival Junior. At one stage, many did feel Brazil would struggle to finish in automatic qualifying places owing to their early campaign form. Brazil is currently level on points with Uruguay and Ecuador in third and fourth place as Dorival Junior’s men look to climb up the table and finish another international break positively.
Team News & Tactics
Venezuela
Venezuela will come into this clash with some defensive problems, as a few key stars are still unavailable for selection. Now, the manager has to add Yordan Osorio to this situation. He joins Jhon Chancellor and Teo Quintero, although the latter is still uncapped but talented nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Fernando Batista will continue to use a 4-3-3 attacking shape with his side. The back four consists of Alexander Gonzalez, Ruben Ramirez, Nahuel Ferraresi, and Jon Aramburu, who are all set to feature in that defensive line at the back. Skipper Tomas Rincon will sit at the base of that Venezuela midfield, with Jose Martinez and Yangel Herrera on either side.
Batista will continue to rely on 35-year-old Solomon Rondon to lead the line and help with the goals, as the veteran’s experience will be needed more than ever against Brazil. Around the striker, he will have Jefferson Savarino and Yeferson Soteldo on either side of the front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Romo; Gonzalez, Ruben Ramirez, Ferraresi, Aramburu; Martinez, Rincon, Herrera; Soteldo, Rondon, Savarino
Brazil
Dorival Junior will have to tinker with his selections to ensure they have the best lineup in place to take a win over Venezuela. There have been a raft of unexpected and surprising injuries just before the international break. Key defender Eder Militao suffered another ACL injury that will force him to miss another considerable period.
Additionally, his Real Madrid teammate Rodrygo Goes suffered a hamstring blow that will keep him sidelined for several weeks. With Gleison Bremer out for the long term, the manager has defensive selection headaches, as Dorival Junior has also decided to leave out Lucas Beraldo, Fabricio Bruno, and Alex Telles from his squad from last month.
For now, Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos are Brazil’s two best centre-backs, with Vanderson and Abner set to play in the full-back positions. Ederson Moraes will continue to play in the No.1 role as Alisson Becker remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Real Madrid forward Endrick has also been left out. Dorival Junior has brought in exciting youngster Estevao Willian to the equation, as he also missed the last set of games for Brazil.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Vanderson, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Abner; Paqueta, Guimaraes; Henrique, Raphinha, Vinicius; Igor Jesus
Key Stats
- Venezuela are one point behind the playoff spot and two points are adrift of automatic qualifying places.
- Venezuela have won their last two qualifying matches.
- Brazil have won their previous nine games away at Venezuela.
- Brazil have scored 39 goals in those nine games away at Venezuela.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
The Real Madrid star may have to play a big role for Brazil, although there are others in the squad capable of scoring goals. Brazil need inspiration to bring about the consistency needed to make the qualification look easy, and Vinicius Junior may have the answer.
The winger will link up with his national team colleagues after a mixed period at the club level, and he missed out on the Ballon d’Or a few weeks ago. Moreover, he will be eager to prove a point with the national side, as Brazil would need him more than ever, especially with the tough fixtures that lay ahead in this campaign.
Prediction
Venezuela 1-3 Brazil
Venezuela can take some solace from their current form on home soil, with draws against Argentina and Ecuador clearly proof of that. The home team will want to put in another such performance, but the idea of handling Brazil in the same way may prove extremely challenging for manager Fernando Batista.
Brazil, who have scored an incredible 39 goals in the nine away games against Venezuela, will have another big victory on their minds. Dorival Junior will want to bring momentum from this clash into the next ones, which are really tough. He will demand nothing short of a win, as Brazil are the overwhelming favourites to do so here.
