South American giants Brazil and Uruguay meet in the final quarter-final fixture of the 2024 Copa America and it could well be the standout game of the round.
Uruguay thought they had secured themselves an easier knockout tie by finishing top of their group but instead they will come up against the nine-time winners of this competition and five-time world champions.
NetBet is here to help with your Copa America bets and we recommend trying out our exciting BetBuilder feature. Read on for our preview of the big knockout match.
Brazil vs Uruguay
Sunday, July 7, 2am
Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada, United States of America
Live on Premier Sports
Preview
Under the guidance of manager Dorival Junior, Brazil have been hugely underwhelming at this Copa America.
Draws against Costa Rica and Colombia, either side of a 4-1 win over Paraguay, saw them finish second in their group.
Brazil have looked a pale shadow of past great teams and to make matters worse, star attacker Vinicius Junior is suspended for the quarter-final tie after picking up a second yellow card of the tournament against Colombia.
Replacing the Real Madrid star will not be easy and his absence only gives more confidence to a Uruguay side who have really caught the eye so far this summer.
And that should be no surprise, given they are now coached by maverick manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Uruguay have been a joy to watch, winning all three games, scoring nine goals, conceding only one and putting teams to the sword with their chaotic, yet effective style – a style embodied by midfield generals Federico Valverde and Manuel Ugarte.
Up top, Liverpool star Darwin Nunez is shining bright with two goals scored and he will relish the opportunity of coming up against a Brazilian defence which has had its issues in recent times.
The only potential downside for Uruguay is the likely absence of influential winger Maximiliano Araujo, who was stretchered off with a head injury in the 1-0 win over hosts USA.
Brazil will still fancy their chances here, though and they can match Uruguay in midfield with Premier League stars Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta, who will look to feed Rodrygo Goes and Raphinha.
All in all, it is shaping up to be a classic encounter.
Odds
*Odds are subject to change
Given the respective form of both teams and Vinicius’ absence, Brazil are only the slight favourites here at 2.62. Uruguay are 2.90 to claim what would be a historic victory in Nevada.
Betting Tips
Rodry-Goal
In Vinicius’ absence, Rodrygo will have to shoulder much of Brazil’s attacking burden and he certainly has the skill-set to deliver the goods after bagging 10 LaLiga goals last season. Rodrygo to score first is 10.00 and he is 4.70 to score anytime.
Double Chance
But if you are not completely convinced by Rodrygo’s potential goal threat, you can instead bet on him or Uruguay’s main man to ripple the back of the net. Rodrygo OR Nunez to score anytime is at 2.07.
BetBuilder
With Nunez in good form and the potential for goals from both sides, we also like the look of this BetBuilder. Nunez to score anytime, Uruguay to win, over 2.5 goals in the match and both teams to score is 9.00.
Brazil Team News
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson, Danilo, Militao, Marquinhos, Wendell, Guimaraes, Gomes, Rodrygo, Paqueta, Raphinha, Endrick
Suspensions: Vinicius
Uruguay Team News
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Rochet, Nandez, R. Araujo, M. Olivera, Vina, Ugarte, Valverde, Pellistri, De la Cruz, C. Olivera, Nunez
Suspensions: None
Score Prediction
Uruguay 2-1 Brazil
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