Paraguay vs Brazil Prediction: Expert Analysis and Match Preview
Brazil did not have the anticipated start in the Copa America 2024. The team played to a disappointing goalless draw against Costa Rica in their opening match, despite being heavily favored by bookmakers at odds of just 1.08 to win.
They will look to improve their form on Friday when they face Paraguay, the only team in Group D that started with a defeat.
Brazil’s Recent Performance
Despite the goalless draw, Brazil has maintained an unbeaten streak of five games, which includes wins against England and Mexico. Brazil has drawn three of their last five matches, against teams like Spain and the USA, aside from Costa Rica. Paraguay suffered a 2-1 defeat against Colombia in their opening match, marking their fifth winless game in their last six outings.
The Brazilian defense has conceded six goals in their last four matches, which is a concerning statistic. In their last nine head-to-head matches, Brazil has remained unbeaten against Paraguay. Brazil upset their fans in their Copa America opener, settling for a draw instead of an expected win against Costa Rica. This has affected their smooth start in the group stage, leaving them second in the standings behind Colombia. Despite an offside goal, all of Brazil’s shots were saved by the Costa Rican goalkeeper.
Paraguay’s Struggles
Unlike Costa Rica, Paraguay has traditionally struggled against Brazil. Moreover, Paraguay has won only twice in their last 10 matches across all competitions. Therefore, we expect Brazil to achieve the breakthrough they are looking for in the competition on Friday.
Paraguay vs Brazil Team News and Predicted Lineup
Paraguay Team News
Daniel Garnero has often used the 4-3-3 formation in their last four matches. They have managed to avoid heavy defeats in those fixtures. Enciso’s equalizer in the 69th minute of the last game was not surprising, as Paraguay had more goal-scoring chances than Colombia. With all players available, Garnero is expected to stick with the 4-3-3 formation on Saturday.
Paraguay Predicted Lineup
Paraguay (4-3-3): Morinigo Acosta – Velazquez, Fabian Balbuena, Alderete, Espinoza – Caballero, Cubas, Villasanti – Almiron, Arce, Enciso.
Brazil Team News
Dorival Silvestre Junior faces a challenging time as Brazil, one of the strongest teams globally, has not been performing as expected recently. Despite having a talented squad, Brazil has struggled against top teams.
Brazil switched to a 4-2-1-3 formation in their opening Copa America match, deviating from their usual 4-3-3 setup. This change was evident as they failed to score, even though they had scored in all their previous matches using the 4-3-3 formation. Fortunately, Dorival Silvestre has a fully fit squad and is expected to revert to the 4-3-3 formation on Friday.
Brazil Predicted Lineup
Brazil (4-3-3): Alisson – Danilo, Militao, Marquinhos, Guilherme Arana – Guimaraes, Gomes, Paqueta – Raphinha, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior.
Brazil Seeks Survival Against a Struggling Paraguay
Bookmakers still consider Brazil heavy favorites in this match, with odds as low as 1.33 for them to win. They aim for a powerful victory to improve their goal difference in the group standings. History favors Brazil in this matchup, as they have scored 10 goals in their last four encounters against Paraguay.
Moreover, Brazil scored three goals in two of their last three away trips while conceding two goals during that period. Despite Paraguay scoring in their last two matches (despite losing one), we predict a 3-1 victory for Brazil on Friday.
Another ideal option to consider is the ht/ft choice, as Brazil sealed those wins in three of their last four clashes against Paraguay. Given our prediction of a 3-1 final score, betting on over 2.5 goals and both teams to score also seems promising.
