Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker:
Desperate to claim a crucial World Cup qualifying boost in the early hours of Friday, Brazil will travel Santiago when they meet Chile.
Chile
Starting with the hosts, last seen signing off September’s international break with another nightmare performance as they slumped to an infamous 2-1 loss at home against Bolivia, Chile find themselves at the heart of what has become a real crisis. Enduring a public Copa America struggle over the summer as they failed to find a route to the knockout stage, Ricardo Gareca’s men have continued to break a string of unwanted records. Marking their return to World Cup qualifying action last month with a routine 3-0 drumming at the hands of Argentina, Chile have failed to muster a single win from any of their previous eight competitive appearances across all competitions. Battling it out at the foot of the table and facing an almighty uphill battle, Friday’s hosts have also suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time on home soil in over two years.
Team News
Universidad de Chile s Fabian Hormazabal and Marcelo Morales are among four players who have received a senior call up to Chile’s squad. However, in what was a real upset announcement last week, Southampton striker Ben Brereton Diaz has been omitted from Gareca’s squad and will not feature over the next week.
Likewise, clearly making some real changes behind the scenes, Chile have also decided to leave out ex-Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal and record-breaking skipper Alexis Sanchez. Former Napoli striker Eduardo Vargas looks set to earn a 115th international cap here.
Brazil
As for the visitors, watching their Copa America adventure come to a quarter-final end over the summer as they suffered penalties heartbreak at the hands of Uruguay, Brazil have come under a huge amount of recent scrutiny. Last seen signing off September’s round of fixtures with a remarkable 1-0 defeat away at Paraguay, it is no secret that Dorival Junior finds a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders. Collecting just 10 points from their first eight World Cup qualifiers, the South American giants already set eight points adrift of runaway leaders and arch-rivals Argentina. In fact, along with mustering just a single victory from any of their previous four appearances, Brazil have also registered just a quartet of wins from any of their last 14 consecutive showdowns a rut that stems back over the past 13 months.
Team News
In what was a huge double blow for Brazil, the South American giants have confirmed that both Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson and Real Madrid talisman Vinicius Junior have withdrawn from the Selecao’s squad. However, the Premier League-based duo of Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes have been included.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will replace Alisson between the sticks and earn a 26th international cap. Making a real impact since arriving in Madrid over the summer, 18-year-old sensation Endrick will feature in Santiago.
Key Factors to Consider
