For the game against Japan, coach Carlo Ancelotti repeated the lineup that defeated Scotland and guaranteed Brazil first place in group C of the World Cup.
Thus, Brazil will go to the field with Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Paquetá and Rayan; Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior.
Neymar remains on the bench, and Rayan continues to replace Raphinha, who was injured in the match against Haiti.
The design defined by Ancelotti continues to focus on giving rhythm to the plays of Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far and participated in six of the seven goals scored by the team.
Ancelotti said that the team’s preparation for this Monday’s match was “like for a final”. The team’s evolution in the last two games pleased the coach, who ended up adjusting the design made at first to include a player with midfielder characteristics. Paquetá defends on the left side, closing a second line of four markers.
The Italian coach does not rule out taking Neymar to the bench from the second half onwards, as happened against Scotland, but has already said that the decision will depend on the evolution of the match at the NRG Stadium, in Houston.
The number 10 arrived in the United States still recovering from an injury to his right calf and did not play in the Brazilian team’s first two matches at the World Cup, against Morocco and Haiti.
