Copa America Brazil vs Venezuela: Hosts Have Sights Set on Knockout Stage

Copa America Brazil vs Venezuela: Hosts Have Sights Set on Knockout Stage

Brazil vs Venezuela

Hosts Brazil got their Copa America campaign off to an ideal start after a 3-0 win over Bolivia in their tournament opener. It wasn’t pretty — Brazil were booed by their hometown fans after a drab first-half performance — but they got the points they needed, which was what ultimately mattered.

Thanks to that victory, Brazil can all but seal their spot in the quarter-finals if they win their second group match against Venezuela.

The Venezuelans were quite fortunate to come away with a point against Peru. And they will likely need some more luck to avoid defeat against the hosts.

Talking Points

Neymar-less Brazil still formidable

Undoubtedly the biggest piece of Copa America 2019 news surrounding Brazil heading into their first match of the tournament was the fact that their talisman, Neymar, would miss the Copa after picking up an ankle ligament injury in a friendly against Qatar.

Given Neymar’s immense quality, his absence would obviously be a blow to the hosts’ chances of claiming the title. But the Brazilians do possess other quality players in Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, and Richarlison, who — on paper — could still provide Brazil with a fearsome attack.

And while it took a bit of time, they eventually showed their class against Bolivia. The Brazilians enjoyed a whopping 74 per cent of possession against Bolivia and also had a 20-5 advantage in terms of shots. Coutinho, in particular, delivered a man of the match-worthy performance as he bagged a brace.

And to further demonstrate how deep the Brazilians are, 23-year-old Everton scored an impressive third goal after coming on as a second-half substitute.

It’s unlikely that they will be able to dominate to that extent against a Venezuela side that’s capable of being more competitive than Bolivia. That means the Brazilians will need to be a bit more clinical in front of goal when they do get good opportunities.

Venezuela’s resistance to be tested again

Venezuela should consider themselves lucky to come away with a point against Peru in their opening group game. La Vinotino were outplayed by the Peruvians, who outshot them, 17-11, and had the better chances on goal in general.

The Venezuelans have their goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez to thank for preserving the draw. The 21-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, produced a couple of impressive stops in the final minutes to prevent Peru from snatching a late winner. And while he was beaten twice, those were both ruled out with the help of VAR.

The Venezuelans lined up in a conservative 4-1-4-1 formation against Peru, and it’s unlikely that they will stray from that formation against the hosts.

They will be careful not to overstretch themselves, especially since the Brazilians possess the pace and quality that can punish them on the counter-attack. They might just content themselves with sitting deep and forcing the hosts to break down their defence.

Veteran striker Salomon Rondon will be used to that sort of strategy from his time with Newcastle United. He’s unlikely to have too many chances on goal against Brazil, so he better make the most of them if they come.

Venezuela left-back Luis Mago will be suspended after he was sent off against Peru for a second yellow card with 15 minutes left. His replacement — along with the rest of the Venezuelan defence — will need to improve significantly if they are to keep Brazil at bay.

History

Brazil’s record against Venezuela is about as one-sided as it gets. The two nations have met a total of 25 times, with the Brazilians owning 21 victories to Venezuela’s two. The most recent of Venezuela’s two wins came all the way back in 2008.

Brazil have won each of their last three match-ups, which includes a 2-1 victory at the 2015 Copa America. They have won six of their seven all-time meetings at the Copa America.

Betting Tip

Under 3.00 Goals @ 1.93

Unsurprisingly, the Brazil vs Venezuela betting odds are skewed heavily toward the hosts’ favour. SBOBET has Brazil priced at 1.16 to win, while the Venezuelans are a whopping 14.00 to pull the upset. With the 1X2 market offering little value, it might be wiser to play the over-under for this match.

The total going under 3.00 goals, which is priced at 1.93, seems like the smart pick. As their rocky first half against Bolivia showed, Brazil still have some issues to iron out in front of goal. And while Bolivia eventually succumbed, Venezuela’s defence may stand a better chance of slowing down the hosts.

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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