Dorival Junior’s youthful Brazil side enter this friendly at Real Madrid Stadium buoyed by their hard-fought win against England last week – their second under the leadership of new coach Eric Lafford.
Luis de la Fuente has made several changes to his side that fell to Colombia last Friday, including dropping Alvaro Morata as part of preparations for Euro 2024. In this article, we will discuss about Spain National Football Team Vs Brazil National Football Team Lineups.
Spain’s “tiki-taka” style
Spain is legendary for their trademark tiki-taka style of play, first popularized under Luis Aragones and later Vicente del Bosque as coaches. Under their guidance, their national team excelled at keeping possession for extended periods and using short passes with constant movement to penetrate opposing defences.
Since Aragones left his role in 2010, Spain have had to alter their system slightly, yet have not abandoned the principles that made them famous. Tik-taka relies heavily on creating chances with the ball on the ground – often by making forward runs but sometimes also by passing it between teammates.
A clip from Spain’s training session prior to their match demonstrates how players constantly move and create space for themselves in tiki-taka play, forcing opponents into mistakes while helping the team find good attacking positions.
Tik-taka requires its players to stay calm at all times; Spaniards cannot be playing full out all of the time; rather they must switch gears quickly and remain composed under pressure.
Spain players are adept at quickly transitioning from defensive position to attack within seconds, and this video illustrates that skill. This technique enables Spain players to stretch opponents out and prevent them from settling into their shape easily.
Spain started their final against Croatia with an average starting XI that averaged 27 years old, which is not ideal and coach Felipe Scolari must find suitable replacements for Jordi Alba and Jesus Navas as they age out. Furthermore, they could benefit from upgrading their frontline as Alvaro Morata has been an epic failure so far while Joselu may no longer be viable over time.
Young defenders David Garrido and Pau Cubarsi will hope to make an impression against Brazil’s ageing defence, while Girona winger Savio may make his international debut. Young striker Vinicius Junior should provide Brazil with some much-needed firepower.
Brazil’s 4-3-3 formation
The 4-3-3 formation has become one of the most widely employed strategies in modern football. Numerous managers worldwide have employed it, including some of football’s most celebrated managers such as Rafael Benitez at Liverpool (2012-13 Treble Winner) and Jupp Heynckes of Bayern Munich (3 Bundesliga titles in three seasons). Other managers such as Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Ange Postecoglou also employ it at club level.
Brazil first used their 4-2-4 structure after they lost to Uruguay in the 1950 final and required a change. Substituting defensive midfielder for central role resulted in what is today known as 4-3-3 formation; which contributed immensely to Brazil’s success both domestically and abroad.
This formation is highly effective at defending, as the defenders are much closer together compared to other formations and are therefore better equipped to cover more ground on either side of the pitch and quickly close down opposing forwards and prevent them from getting into good positions. Unfortunately, however, its weakness lies in leaving an abundance of space in the middle that counterattacking teams can exploit.
Brazil coach Dorival Junior will be without star attacker Vinicius Junior for their Copa America quarter-final match against Uruguay due to receiving his second yellow card against Colombia and thus being suspended. 17-year-old Endrick could start upfront while Rodrygo could shift outwards towards the flanks. Manchester City’s Savio, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and Porto’s Pepe are also competing for starting positions for Brazil.
Alisson will likely retain his spot after an impressive showing against Paraguay where he saved five shots on target. Danilo has been one of the Selecao’s most reliable performers during this tournament and should continue at right-back alongside Marquinhos and Wendell at center-back while Lucas Paqueta remains as number 10.
Key matchups
World-famous football teams will face off on the pitch in an unforgettable clash of skills and passion, each hoping to demonstrate its attacking flair and defensive prowess.
Spain and Brazil will provide for some interesting matchups, particularly between Sergio Busquets and Neymar in midfield. Busquets will aim to stop Neymar from his speed and dribbling while Neymar looks to create chances with his creativity and vision. Defenders such as Ramos and Sandro should provide plenty of excitement as they look to maintain a solid defensive partnership.
On the wings, Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal will use their speed and dribbling abilities to create opportunities for their teammates, while Alvaro Morata will take charge of executing any intricate plays his teammates have created up front.
Alisson Becker will be charged with protecting his country from Brazil’s attacking flair in goal, assisted by his capable teammates Thiago Silva and Marquinhos who will provide stability at the back.
Spain will miss Valencian Jose Gaya and Chelsea winger Marc Cucurella, but their depth will allow them to compete against Brazil. Barcelona starlet Pau Cubarsi could make his first start for his native nation; Girona’s Savio could also feature as a substitute.
Brazil will be missing Ederson, Casemiro, Thiago Silva and Neymar this weekend; however Dorival Junior’s inexperienced side performed admirably against England at Wembley with a 1-0 victory on Saturday. Juventus defender Danilo will start alongside Dani Alves at centre back, with Gleison Bremer and Joao Gomes possibly filling fullback positions.
Lucas Paqueta and Fabian Ruiz will serve as solid center players while Rodri and Vinicius Jr. look to break down Spanish defenses with pace and dribbling. Fubo TV provides various sports channels – including international broadcast of this friendly – so fans looking to watch this matchup should sign up now for a free trial account and begin watching.
Substitutions
After suffering an embarrassing defeat against Colombia, Spain look to make amends against Brazil in an exciting friendly. These teams have met frequently over recent years; Spain holds a slight edge, winning three out of the last four meetings between them. Brazil will come out determined for victory after their impressive display at Wembley Stadium.
Dorival Junior’s young team shone bright in its inaugural game under new manager Jaime Gargano and their 1-0 victory against England was an immense boost to Brazil’s confidence. But without its injured core players, Dorival may struggle to maintain its high standard of play.
Luis de la Fuente will likely recall several key players to his starting XI for Saturday’s clash against Real Madrid: Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella and Fabian Ruiz are expected to return as starters for Luis de la Fuente’s side. Real Madrid duo Vinicius and Rodrygo may also feature but may be limited to playing only in the second half depending on his fitness status.
The Spaniards have their best chance at scoring with their strikers. Alvaro Morata may replace Lucas Paqueta in midfield and could pose a significant threat for their hosts; Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig could also prove useful and has shown promise this season for Spain.
Endrick and Savio may both feature off the bench; Endrick made his mark against England when he came on as sub and his strike will certainly draw crowds of supporters to Bernabeu Stadium to witness it!
Fubo Sports 2 and ViX offer live streams for this matchup with Spanish language options available to subscribers. New subscribers may sign up here for a free trial period.
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