Copa America 2024 Group D : Brazil V/s. Paraguay Match Preview and Lineups

Copa America 2024 Group Stage

29 June, 2024 - Indian Date

State Farm Stadium

MATCH TIMES

India

06:30 AM

UAE

05:00 AM

Saudi Arabia

4:00 AM

FULL TIME

Brazil [4-1] Paraguay

Predicted Lineups:

Brazil possible starting lineup: Alisson; Danilo, Militao, Marquinhos, Arana; Guimaraes, Luiz; Raphinha, Paqueta, Rodrygo; Junior

Paraguay possible starting lineup: Morinigo; Velazquez, Balbuena, Alderete, Espinoza; Rojas, Cubas, Caballero; Romero, Arce, Enciso

After a frustrating opening match at the Copa America, Brazil returns to the field on Friday to face Paraguay in Group D action at Allegiant Stadium. Selecao were held to a 0-0 draw by Costa Rica in their opener, while Paraguay's comeback attempt against Colombia fell short in a 2-1 defeat.

Paraguay managed to frustrate Colombia with a compact, low block for the first 30 minutes of their match. However, a 32nd-minute goal from Daniel Munoz forced them to change tactics and chase the game, a situation in which they have struggled historically. Paraguay has lost 18 consecutive matches after conceding the opening goal and their last three Copa America matches when trailing at halftime.

Despite their struggles, Paraguay has shown resilience, managing clean sheets immediately after a defeat in their last three instances. They have not suffered back-to-back defeats in the Copa America within 90 minutes since 2016.

Brazil, on the other hand, were dominant in their opener against Costa Rica but failed to score, marking their second consecutive goalless game in the Copa America, dating back to the 2021 final against Argentina. Brazil controlled the match with 74% possession, 1.66 expected goals, and 49 actions in the opponent's area, compared to Costa Rica's two. Historically, Brazil has bounced back from similar situations, notably following a 0-0 draw with Ecuador in 2016 with a 7-1 win over Haiti.

Selecao has not lost a Copa America match to Paraguay in regular time since 2004 but has been eliminated by them in two of the last three tournaments on penalties. Brazil will look to avoid dropping points in consecutive group fixtures, a situation they haven't faced since 2015.

In terms of team news, Paraguay's Gustavo Velazquez and Andres Cubas are at risk of suspension with yellow cards. Rodrigo Morinigo started in goal for the first time in place of Carlos Coronel, and Damian Bobadilla earned his second cap. Julio Enciso scored his first goal for Paraguay in the opener.

Brazil made two changes from their friendly against the United States, with Guilherme Arana replacing Wendell at left-back and Eder Militao starting over Lucas Beraldo at center-back. Douglas Luiz did not feature for the first time since October, while Endrick and Savio came on as substitutes, with Savio pushing for a starting spot after scoring three times in his last five appearances. Marquinhos had a goal disallowed by VAR, and Alisson secured his first clean sheet since the 2022 World Cup win over Switzerland.