The Brazilian team has 100% success in the competition, while the Colombian team seeks victory to enter the G4 and escape from the repechage zone
Rocked by the streak of nine victories in nine Qualifiers games and very close to guaranteeing qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a Brazilian team returns to the field this Sunday (10) to face Colombia. The match will be at 18:00 (GMT), at the Estádio Metropolitano de Barranquilla.
The duel is valid for the 5th round of the qualifiers and should have taken place in March, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The teams will meet again next month, in São Paulo, for the 13th round.
A Colombian team will have the support of the fans. About 35 thousand people will be in the stands, that is, 75% of the Stadium’s total capacity. To gain access, fans will need to present proof of vaccination against a Covid-19.
For the match soon, coach Reinaldo Rueda will not be able to count on Cuadrado, one of the leading names of the time. The player authorized the second yellow card and therefore serves suspension. The coach has not revealed who the replacement should be. With 14 points and occupying the fifth place, a possible victory will place the team in the G4.
In case of victory, Brazil will reach 30 points, a score that practically defines a direct classification for the World Cup. Since the Qualifiers started to be played in this format, this was the highest score of a fourth place – Paraguay, in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.
The Brazilian team has the return of Neymar, who served suspension in the last round and will return in place of Éverton Ribeiro. The shirt 10 will reach 114 games for Brazil, will overtake Pelé and will be isolated as the fifth player who wore the hopscotch the most.
On defense, Éder Militão should team up with Marquinhos. With that, Thiago Silva is an option at the bank. Remember that the three defenders are hanging. On the left flank, Alex Sandro returns in place of Guilherme Arana, who made his debut last Thursday. Another change will be the return of Fred, who will replace Gerson in midfield.
