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Brazil U20 and Dominican Republic U20 will square off at the Estadio Malvinas in a FIFA U20 World Cup fixture on Wednesday.
Both sides kickstarted their Group D campaign with one-goal defeats. Brazil fell to a 3-2 defeat against Italy. A rampant start to the game by the Azzurrini saw them take a three-goal lead at the break, with Reading midfielder Cesare Casadei scoring a brace and providing an assist. Santos forward Marcos Leonardo scored a late brace to threaten a comeback from the Brazilians that never materialized.
Dominican Republic fell to a 2-1 defeat against Nigeria in their first-ever U20 World Cup game. They went ahead through Edison Azcona in the 23rd minute but an own goal by Guillermo de Pena and a 71st-minute strike by Samson Lawal saw the Flying Eagles complete the turnaround.
The defeats left Brazil and the Dominican Republic at the bottom of the standings in the group.
Brazil U20 vs Dominican Republic U20 Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides at this level. They squared off in a friendly in April that saw Brazil claim a 1-0 victory.
- Brazil are the record-appearance makers at the Under-20 World Cup, with this being their 19th participation. They are five-time winners of the competition.
- The Dominican Republic are making their debut in the World Cup.
- Brazil's defeat to Italy ended their 12-game unbeaten run of which they won nine.
- The Dominican Republic are on an eight-game losing streak.
- The Dominican Republic have failed to score in six of their last eight games, while eight of their last nine opponents have scored two goals or more.
Brazil U20 vs Dominican Republic U20 Prediction
Brazil had a nightmarish first half against Italy, and despite rallying back with a late showing, the damage had already been done. The South American champions are among the favorites to win a sixth U20 World Cup title.
Brazil have never failed to progress from the group stage in any of their previous 18 appearances in the U20 World Cup and will be keen to get back on track with a win here.
The Dominican Republic showed their abilities against Nigeria but Brazil are a different proposition. We are backing Ramon Menenez's side to claim a comfortable win.
Prediction: Brazil 4-0 Dominican Republic
Brazil U20 vs Dominican Republic U20 Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Brazil to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Brazil to win both halves
