The Selecao, led by iconic fullback Dani Alves, look to get the better of their European rivals in a repeat of the Rio 2016 gold medal match.

Preview

The last time Brazil and Germany clashed in the Olympic Men's Football Tournament, it was in the final of the Rio 2016 edition. This time around, the South American and European giants are preparing to face off from the get-go, locking horns on matchday 1 at Tokyo 2020. The Group D sides will renew their rivalry at the Nissan Stadium for their 7:30 a.m. ET kick-off as the Selecao look to commence their title defense with a win.

Yes, when these two heavyweights faced off at the Rio 2016 finale, it was Brazil that came away with the gold medal, with Neymar guiding Canarinho to a penalty shootout victory. In fact, it was none other than the PSG sensation—then a Barcelona player—who scored their only goal, netting from a well-taken free kick attempt. That victory brought an end to the nation's long wait for an Olympic gold medal, having won silver in three previous finals.

However, Neymar is no longer around to provide the spark as his focus was on the 2021 Copa America, meaning Andre Jardine's side must look elsewhere for inspiration. Their path to Tokyo 2020 was rough, having only secured a ticket to Japan on the final day of the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. This came courtesy of a 3-0 win over bitter rivals Argentina, with Paulinho and Matheus Cunha (2x) scoring en route to victory.

The aforementioned Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin forwards rose to prominence in the qualifying tournament for Tokyo 2020, with Cunha finishing the event as top scorer. Both have been called up to Brazil's Olympic team. They will be led by the iconic Dani Alves, with the famous South American fullback being named as one of the Selecao's three overage selections in their roster.

As for Germany, they will be keen on improving on their Rio 2016 run as they aim to get the gold medal this time around. Unfortunately, Stefan Kuntz's side suffered heartbreak in the UEFA European U-21 Championship back in 2019, losing 2-1 to Spain in the final, and will have to quickly overcome that shortcoming. Luca Waldschmidt, who finished that tournament as top scorer with seven goals, is not in the Olympic team but the European giants can look to Union Berlin attacker Max Kruse for leadership up front.

Team news

Brazil: Despite his age, Dani Alves is expected to lead his nation in Thursday's fixture. However, he will not be the only familiar Brazilian available as the likes of Richarlison, Gabriel Martinelli, Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, and Diego Carlos have all been called up.

Germany: Union Berlin's Max Kruse will likely be the first name on Kuntz's team sheet after enjoying an excellent 2020/21 campaign, scoring 11 times in the Bundesliga. However, he is not alone as the Germans have Nadiem Amiri and Maximilian Arnold to rely upon.

Key stats

  • This will be the fifth encounter between these two footballing powerhouses at the Olympic Games.

  • The Selecao boast the superior head-to-head record, winning three of their previous four run-ins.

  • Dani Alves and Co. head into Tokyo 2020 with two wins and a draw from their last three outings.

Broadcast listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Brazil 4 - 2 Germany

July 22, 2021 7:30amNissan Stadium (Yokohama)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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