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Brazil will host Colombia at the Arena Corinthians on Friday in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier, looking to continue their unbeaten run. With ten wins and a draw from 11 games, the Selecao are cruising atop the table with 31 points. They have six more points than their arch-rivals Argentina, who're in second place.
The Selecao have been inspired by the playmaking brilliance of Neymar, who has made eight assists and scored another seven times so far. Tite's side have simply been a cut above the rest. Colombia, meanwhile, are in fourth place with 16 points, having won only a fourth of their 12 qualifying games.
However, on the flip side, they've also lost only twice, both coming a year ago against Uruguay and Ecuador, who thrashed them 6-1.
Another setback could plunge Colombia's hopes into chaos, with Uruguay and Chile lurking right behind them. Ahead of the mouth-watering kick-off, here's a look at five things to watch out for in this clash:
#5 Another heated clash on the cards?
For some reason, tensions almost always tend to flare up whenever Brazil and Colombia meet. Remember their FIFA World Cup 2014 and Copa America 2015 clashes?
Well, even in recent times, the South American rivals have contested heated clashes, with nasty fouls and angry confrontations becoming the norm.
The 0-0 draw in Barranquilla last month saw a staggering 28 fouls committed, while Neymar and Yerry Mina were almost at each other's throats.
In their clash in the Copa America in June, a spate of controversial refereeing decisions led to a few on-field skirmishes. That led to another tense game between the two neighbours.
Could more of the same be in store for Friday?
#4 Suspension concerns raise doubts over Brazil's starting XI against Colombia
With an important game against arch-rivals Argentina coming up next week, Brazil have been hit with a selection headache ahead of their Colombia clash.
As many as eight players - Casemiro, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Gabriel Jesus, Fabinho, Lucas Paqueta, Eder Militao and Gerson - are one booking away from a suspension.
That makes Tite's starting line-up anything but certain against Colombia. Considering their upcoming clash could be a tense one, the Colombia manager will have to be careful with his selection.
Sure, having anyone, or a few of the aforementioned players banned from their trip to Argentina won't spell disaster. But the sheer rivalry and pride makes it important for Brazil to have all their key players available for the Superclasico de las Americas. Brazil will also look to preserve their unbeaten run in the ongoing qualifiers.
#3 The return of James Rodriguez
Colombia's James Rodriguez has become somewhat of a forgotten name in world football. As injuries continued to wreak havoc on his time on the field, the former Real Madrid ace recently moved to Qatari side Al Rayyan from Everton.
He's now set to make his first appearance for Los Cafeteros in almost a year. The playmaker has been in international exile since scoring in Colombia's 6-1 drubbing against Ecuador last November.
Despite playing only thrice in the 2021-22 season, Rodriguez's return is a massive boost for Colombia. They'll look up to him to provide some much-needed attacking spark.
#2 Falcao injury exacerbates Colombia's attacking woes
Last month, Colombia failed to score in any of their three qualifying games, drawing 0-0 against Uruguay, Brazil and Ecuador in succession. In the three games, they mustered 32 shots in total, of which only 11 were on target. That indicates a severe lack of cutting edge in the final third.
To exacerbate matters, in-form striker Radamel Falcao has been ruled out with an injury, leaving Colombia with a massive void to fill in attack.
Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel and Luis Diaz are all incredibly talented. But their record for the Cafeteros is poor - in 103 caps combined - the triumvirate has accrued only 19 goals together.
Rodriguez will create chances, but can anyone finish them?
#1 Brazil will qualify with a win
Should the Canaries beat Colombia again on Friday, it'll be a done deal for them. They'll secure direct qualification. Having cruised through the campaign with a near-perfect record, Tite's side have been in a league of their own.
However, it's worth mentioning that the only time they failed to win was against Colombia. They held Brazil in a goalless but tense game last month.
Anything but a win would have no impact on their qualifying hopes. But they'd hope to become the first side in the CONMEBOL zone to book their tickets for next year's showpiece event in Qatar.
