FIFA World Cup LIVE Rating: Striker Richarlison celebrates after scoring the opening purpose of Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Group G match towards Serbia. AP
Preview: 5-time champions Brazil start their journey within the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday once they tackle Serbia on the Lusail Stadium.
FIFA World Cup: Fixtures | Outcomes | Factors Desk | Squads | Information
The Tite-coached aspect are essentially the most profitable crew within the historical past of the event, having received the World Cup a complete of 5 occasions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) moreover ending runners-up twice (1950 and 1998).
Brazil, nonetheless, have hit a roadblock of types since their fifth world triumph in Japan/South Korea in 2002, getting knocked out within the quarter-finals on three events (2006, 2010 and 2018). They reached the semi-finals of the 2014 version that they hosted earlier than struggling a humiliating 7-1 loss by the hands of eventual champions Germany.
The Brazilian crew nonetheless, enters the 2022 version because the tearaway favourites given the sheer vary of expertise of their ranks in addition to the red-hot type of a few of their key gamers reminiscent of star ahead Neymar.
“His preparation this time has been totally different. In 2014 he bought injured simply as he was enjoying so properly, and in 2018 he got here into the event otherwise as a result of he had a critical damage so hadn’t performed a lot.
“This time is totally different and he has not been injured. Neymar is loads higher ready,” mentioned veteran midfielder and Brazil captain Thiago Silva on the eve of their opening sport.
The comparatively unfancied Serbia, which performed as Yugoslavia till the 1998 version and as Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, didn’t progress past the group stage in every of its final three appearances within the world event.
The crew nonetheless, enter the event because the darkish horses, having completed on high of their qualifying group forward of former European champions Portugal and coach Dragan Stojkovic insisted his aspect weren’t fazed by the stature of Brazil, the aspect that had overwhelmed then 2-0 in Russia 4 years in the past.
“We’re afraid of no person on the earth, not even Brazil. We don’t must be afraid,” Stojkovic mentioned forward of the match.
Learn all of the Newest Information, Trending Information, Cricket Information, Bollywood Information, India Information and Leisure Information right here. Observe us on Fb, Twitter and Instagram.