Brazil and Australia lock horns for the second and final time as the Seleção completes its tour Down Under with a friendly in Brisbane.
The start of a fresh cycle didn’t exactly offer a great reset for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in Townsville on Friday, with a suboptimal playing surface facilitating a rather scrappy encounter that ended 1–1.
Rayan’s last-gasp strike cancelled out Nestory Irankunda’s stunning free-kick, as the Socceroos were denied a famous victory.
Ancelotti was particularly scathing of the pitch postmatch, but did recognise the stringent organization of Tony Popovic’s Australia. The hosts did an excellent job of keeping the dominant visitors at arm‘s length until the very last moment.
Popovic insisted his players were disappointed with the result, depicting a "sign of progress" after Australia’s early knockout stage elimination at the World Cup.
Australia vs. Brazil Score Prediction
Seleção Earn First Win Post-World Cup
Both managers are hopeful that Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will allow for a more impressive spectacle on Tuesday, but Popovic, who’s previously voiced his displeasure about the quality of Australian pitches, has said that consistently pristine surfaces across the country are a "dream that’s not close to reality."
Still, the discourse surrounding playing surfaces shouldn’t take away from the Socceroos’ dogged effort in Townsville in the absence of several key players from its World Cup campaign. While Brazil dominated territorially, as you’d expect, Australia would’ve been good value for its victory.
Ancelotti has shaken things up after the summer’s disappointment, and we’re unlikely to see the most stunning iteration of the Seleção for a little while yet. Australia will be confident of securing the victory that only just eluded them last time out.
- Brazil’s woes on the road: Brazil has been pretty wretched away from home under Ancelotti, and that trend continued on Friday. The Seleção has won just two of its nine most recent away matches, losing four.
- Settled visitors: Fatigue may well have been a factor last time out, given the lengthy flight. Ancelotti’s group have settled in Australia for almost a week now, so should be somewhat fresher heading into its second friendly. An improved playing surface will also aid Brazil immensely, given the talent gap between the two nations. A poor pitch evens the playing field, and the hosts benefited massively last time out.
Prediction: Australia 1–2 Brazil
Australia Predicted Lineup vs. Brazil
Popovic has named seven uncapped players on his roster and lost Mohamed Touré and Alexander Robertson’s through injuries before the first friendly with Brazil. Nishan Velupillay was called up as a replacement, but he didn’t take to the field.
Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Cristian Volpato and Kai Trewin are among the names absent from this Australian roster, but there is at least some Bos representation via Jordy’s younger brother Kasey. He’s still awaiting his first cap.
Irankunda is emerging as the star of Australian soccer, proving why he became the country’s most expensive player in the summer with his pinpoint free-kick on Friday. He’s set to lead the Socceroos’ line on Tuesday over Tete Yengi, with Popovic introducing Riley McGree to his attack.
Australia predicted lineup vs. Brazil (3-4-2-1): Beach; Circati, Souttar, Herrington; Italiano, Irvine, O'Neill, Behich; McGree, Metcalfe; Irankunda.
Brazil Predicted Lineup vs. Australia
Ancelotti warned reporters not to get used to his public team selections, and there has been no confirmation of Brazil’s starting lineup long before kick-off this time around.
The Seleção manager is expected to make several changes to his team in Brisbane, but heavy-hitters Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior could remain. The former has been outstanding for Barcelona at the start of the new season, albeit in a fluid center forward position. Ancelotti is more likely to use him as a No. 10 on Tuesday.
Vanderson was called up to replace the injured Wesley, and the Monaco man may come into the team at right back. Arsenal’s Gabriel should start alongside Marquinhos, while Manchester United midfielder Andrey Santos is poised to replace Danilo next to Bruno Guimarães.
After ensuring Brazil wasn’t beaten last time out, Rayan could be rewarded with a start down the right flank.
What Time Does Australia vs. Brazil Kick Off?
- Location: Brisbane, Australia
- Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Kick-off Time: 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. BST
How to Watch Australia vs. Brazil on TV, Live Stream
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Paramount+ |
| Brazil | SporTV, Globo, Globoplay |
| United Kingdom | Not televised |
| United States | Not televised |
