Brazil vs Peru

South American juggernauts Brazil welcome an improving Peru side to the famous Maracanã for what appears to be a routine 2022 World Cup qualifying task for the Copa America 2021 runners-up.

Though health authorities interrupted their blockbuster clash against Argentina after just five minutes last time out, Brazil remain seemingly confident of executing a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign since their road to ‘Spain 1982.’ Tite’s men have won all seven 2022 World Cup qualifying fixtures by an aggregate score of 17-2 in the build-up to this encounter and are very much on course of booking their tickets for Qatar 2022. The ‘clean-sheet’ theme has highlighted Brazil’s recent qualifying victories, as each of their last five saw them shut out their rivals since coming from behind to beat Peru 4-2 in this campaign’s reverse fixture in October 2020. The ‘Seleção’ should feel comfortable even if they concede here, having scored 3+ goals in four of their last five competitive meetings with this opposition.

On the other hand, Peru’s hopes of qualifying for back-to-back World Cup finals for the first time since 1978 and 1982 have received a massive boost as they’ve gone from four consecutive World Cup qualifying defeats to three straight matches without losing (W2, D1). A hard-fought 1-0 home win over Venezuela last time out brought ‘La Blanquirroja’ within touching distance of fifth-placed Colombia. However, head coach Ricardo Gareca needs to address his side’s glaring defensive issues to even stand a chance against Brazil after seeing his side manage just two clean sheets across their last 18 internationals – both against lower-ranked Venezuela. Adding to a sizeable list of concerns, the Peruvians lament a worrying 10% win rate in overall H2Hs (W5, D9, L36), last securing a competitive win against Brazil in September 1975.