Preview
Title holders Brazil return to action in the Copa America this midweek, with the South American powerhouses taking on Peru in the second game of their 2021 campaign. The Selecao face La Blanquirroja on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Olympic Stadium with the sole aim of making it two wins out of the two in their quest to make it to the knockout stage.
A spot in the quarter-finals is almost guaranteed for the defending champions. With each group containing five nations, one simply needs to finish in the top four in order to secure progression. Having enjoyed a lovely 3-0 victory in their opening fixture, Tite's men find themselves well on their way to the next round, with only Colombia matching them on points.
Neymar and Co. opened up their campaign against Venezuela and made light work of La Vinotinto, with goals from Marquinhos, Gabriel Barbosa, and Brazil's PSG sensation leading them to a comfortable 3-0 triumph. Given that a first-placed finish in their group will book them a tie with the fourth-placed team of the other group, Tite's men will undoubtedly be targeting this goal when they welcome Peru.
Form suggests the Selecao will march to victory. The CONMEBOL giants have won their last eight fixtures in a row and are yet to lose a competitive game since going down 2-1 to Belgium in the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. Yes, there was a brief winless run in international friendlies from September to November of 2019, but whenever there is a competition on the line, the Brazilians mean business.
As for Ricardo Gareca's side, they are yet to kick off their Copa America campaign as this will be their first match of the tournament. La Blanquirroja enter this tie on the back of a respectable 2-1 triumph over Ecuador but that result cannot paper over Peru's poor form leading up to this competition, having lost their last four 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in a row. Despite this, revenge over Brazil, the side that beat them in the 2019 Copa America final, might be the drive Sergio Pena and Co. need to pull off a surprise result. Do not miss this fixture!
Team news
Brazil: Tite isn't expected to make much changes to the side that beat Venezuela 3-0. Neymar will continue to lead the Selecao's attack and will likely be joined by Richarlison and Roberto Firmino, with Gabriel Barbosa tipped to start on the bench despite scoring on the opening day. Militao and Marquinhos were reliable at the heart of Brazil's defense and will thus be the center-back partnership once again.
Peru: With Gareca omitting experienced names such as Raul Ruidiaz and Paolo Guerrero, Peru are likely to turn to their promising youngsters for inspiration. Christian Cueva and Sergio Pena are two names who have been here and done it before, and will thus be two players to keep an eye on.
Key stats
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Not only have Brazil won their last eight games in a row, they are also yet to concede in their last five outings.
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Peru boast only two victories from their last 10 fixtures and have lost four out of their last five games.
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In 48 meetings with La Blanquirroja, the Selecao have suffered only five defeats, winning 34 while drawing nine times.
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While Peru beat Brazil as recently as 2019, their last competitive victory over the South Americans was back in the 2016 Copa America.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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