Brazil vs Paraguay
Copa America
Date: Friday, 28 June 2019
Kick-off at 1:30 UK/ 2:30 CET
Venue: Arena do Grêmio (Porto Alegre).
Team News
Brazil
Casemiro was suspended for Brazil after receiving an expensive yellow card in their final group match. Fernandinho is expected to recover from injury just in time to replace the Real Madrid midfielder, otherwise Allan is another option.
Tite has not made his choice in front of three but Everton and Gabriel Jesus have entered his mind and will start both sides of Roberto Firmino here.
Paraguay
Paraguay have used a 4-4-1-1 formation in their last two matches against Argentina and Colombia and are expected to go with the same here.
Statistics
Brazil and Paraguay have met 30 times in the South American Championship, with the Selecao winning 13 matches, compared to nine Paraguay wins.
However, their last win over La Albirroja at the Copa America came in 2001, suffering three defeats since then - two of them on penalties in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2011 and 2015.
The Selecao is the top scorer in the tournament with eight goals so far, while Paraguay is the only team to qualify for the knockout stage with just two points.
Brazil have won the competition in each of the four editions they held, which means they have never been eliminated from the South American Championships at home.
Preview
Paraguay may find that the chances of attacking are more expensive here. The Tite have conceded just two goals in 13 matches since they left the World Cup last summer.
Furthermore, Brazil have bagged clean sheets in each of their last five matches and William Hill went 4/9 (1.44) that Berizzo's troops failed to find his net in Porto Alegre. Brazil is available only on 4/7 (1.57) to win to zero with the same company.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Brazil have only lost two of 38 home matches against Paraguay in all competitions (26W 10D). The defeat occurred in August 2002 (1-0) in an international friendly match and in May 1949 (2-1) at the Copa America.
- Brazil will play in the Copa America quarter-finals for the 10th time since the introduction of the current format (1993).
- Brazil recorded a clean sheet in all of its matches at this tournament (2W 1D) - the longest record in the competition since 1997.
- Paraguay have only won one of their last 20 matches in the competition (11D 8L) - 1-0 against Jamaica in 2015.
Prediction of Brazil vs Paraguay
Brazil has no difficulties at the moment, reaching the semifinals with a convincing attacking performance and another clean sheet from Alisson.
Prediction: Brazil 3, Paraguay 0
