World Cup 2022: Chile Face a Make or Break Situation in Brazil

Brazil vs Chile

Chile still have a fighting chance here in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, but a big roadblock is in their way when they’ll take on Brazil this Thursday evening at Rio de Janeiro.

There’s a lot on the line for La Roja in these next few days. While Brazil are perched at the top of the CONMEBOL table and are guaranteed for Qatar, Chile will be hoping to catch the final four bus since they’re sixth with only 19 points.

Fourth-placed Uruguay and fifth-placed Peru will also clash on Thursday night. But regardless, a victory here would do Chile a big favour for them to stay alive.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds pitch for another victory for Brazil, but Chile have proven that they can bring the fight against the Samba Boys.

Talking Points

Tite’s last hurrah with Brazil

Brazil are already qualified for World Cup 2022 in Qatar but they are yet to secure their top spot in the CONMEBOL standings. They have a four-point edge over second-placed Argentina, and their sole objective at this point is to prevent their rivals from snatching the top spot.

Another objective for the Samba Boys this week is to give Tite a nice farewell after the 60-year-old declared that he’ll be stepping down from his head coaching role after Qatar.

Tite was hired in 2016 to replace ex-national team skipper Dunga after a disappointing run at the Copa America Centenario where they failed to progress to the knockout stage. With 51 wins and just five losses in 70 games managed, Tite is definitely one of the best managers ever for Brazil.

For this contest, Tite is expected to rotate his side due to several key absences.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has been forced to withdraw due to an illness and he’ll be replaced by Liverpool’s Alisson Becker. Meanwhile, Raphinha tested positive for COVID-19 while Gabriel Magalhaes and his girlfriend are expecting their first child soon.

The good news for them is that Neymar, who has missed the last three qualifiers games due to injury, is set for a return in the starting lineup and he’ll link up with Richarlison and Vinicius Junior to try and create more World Cup 2022 highlights.

In addition, young stars such as Ajax’s Antony and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli are likely to make an appearance, while Philippe Coutinho, Thiago Silva, and Dani Alves are all options for Tite as well.

Can Chile live to fight another day?

Chile, on the other hand, have had a disappointing qualifying campaign thus far. They’ve won only one of their opening 10 games and now they must finish strong to give themselves a chance.

La Roja got a crucial victory over Bolivia last month to keep their hopes alive thanks to a brace from Alexis Sanchez and a goal from Marcelino Nunez, and both players will play a huge role in trying to topple their hosts.

Emerging star Ben Brereton Diaz has been out since February and he’ll be assessed ahead of this contest, while veteran midfielder Arturo Vidal is now available to link up with Charles Aranguiz and Erick Pulgar after being suspended in the last time out.

They missed out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup so they’ll be desperate for that to not happen again.

History

There have been 74 encounters between Brazil and Chile, and the Samba Boys have the clear advantage with 53 wins while La Roja have won in eight along with 13 draws.

In their reverse fixture last year, Brazil beat Chile on the road with a scoreline of 1-0 as Everton Ribeiro came off the bench and found the back of the net four minutes after the hour mark.

Brazil were also responsible in dumping out Chile during the Copa America quarter-finals with the same exact score. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Lucas Paqueta’s lone goal two minutes prior to the incident was enough to secure the victory.

The Samba Boys have been undefeated in 14 consecutive international matches on home soil and they’re the only nation to have qualified for every World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930.

Betting Tip

The World Cup 2022 odds are favouring Brazil for this contest. The Samba Boys are priced at 1.43 to win, while Chile are pegged at 7.40 and chances for a draw are at 4.10 in the 1X2 market.

Chile are under immense pressure to perform and grab maximum points, but they will be hard-pressed to win this one given Brazil’s superior home record.

 

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