World Cup 2018: 4 major shocks we could witness in Russia

#3 Brazil have put themselves in a risky position

Selecao - a point to prove

Brazil without question was the overwhelming favorite heading into this World Cup in Russia. Brazil had seemingly lost their identity at the start of the decade and this has been restored by manager Tite.

This attractive Brazil side has brought back memories of past sides with their flowing and attractive attacking play.

The world was waiting to see this team light up the stadiums in Russia and they began in text-book fashion with creative midfielder Philippe Coutinho wowing the fans with a stunning curler from outside the box.

However the Brazilian engine got stuck to the same gear and failed to push on after taking the lead. Switzerland hit back in the second half and got back level, and despite both sides trying extremely hard, the winner never arrived.

For Brazil, Neymar who was playing his first competitive match in nearly four months after recovering from an injury was handed a tough examination.

The PSG man was fouled an incredible 10 times and the Swiss central midfielders were constantly on to him, giving him very less time on the ball. Willian and Gabriel Jesus also didn't have the best of games, and their combined struggles meant that Coutinho was left with too much to do.

Brazil walked away with a point against the team that was considered to be their toughest opposition in the group and hence should be confident of progressing to the next stage.

However the South American side shouldn't take anything for granted in an unforgiving format. They will have to play a lot better than they did against Switzerland if they are to have hopes of winning the World Cup after 16 years.