Brazil vs Colombia Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Brazil has been largely inconsistent of late and is in danger of failing to qualify under Dorival Júnior. The team’s approach to football under the new coach has looked a lot more like the generic football we see in very successful clubs today, nothing like the Brazilian play most football fans love to witness. And even with the change of approach, defensive lapses are more evident because it’s harder for the whole team to be on the same page – much is the struggle of national football.

In their last outing against Colombia, Brazil and Colombia battled to a 1-1 draw, with a sensational direct free-kick from Raphinha securing the Selecao a point. The Barcelona winger opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the game, but Brazil stagnated for the 78 minutes that followed.

In more recent fixtures, finishing off the chances created by good play has left them dropping points in World Cup qualifiers. They had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Uruguay last time out, leaving them with just three wins in their last nine qualifying matches.

One of Brazil’s biggest worries is the potential absence of Neymar, who continues to recover from an ankle injury. Without him, the team will rely heavily on Vinícius Júnior, who has failed to deliver, and Rodrygo, who does have the quality, but his age has fallen prey to composure in decisive moments.

Colombia has quietly become one of the most formidable underdogs in the CONMEBOL region under Nestor Lorenzo. Their discipline to the defensive approach from Nestor earned them an unbeaten run of 28 fixtures, which secured wins against top sides like Germany, Uruguay, Spain, and their current opponents, Brazil. It is currently the nation's longest unbeaten streak in its history. It was broken when they lost in the CONMEBOL final to Lionel Messi and co via penalties.

Their last outing against Brazil saw them hold their own in a 1-1 draw, reaffirming their resilience against top opposition after failing to show the same tenacity that they did in the unbeaten run. More recently, they have won just two fixtures since that final against Argentina, one of which was a 2-1 victory over La Albiceleste, and a convincing 4-0 thumping of Chile. But the recent 3-2 loss to Uruguay and 0-1 loss to Ecuador has left a lot to be desired.

The pace of Luis Diaz and the playmaking ability of James Rodriguez are crucial in the way Colombia force their efforts, and if it’s neutralized then life becomes difficult.