Brazil boasts a precarious lead at the top of Group C, and victory over Scotland might not be enough for the Seleção to advance into the round of 32 as group winners.
A 1–1 draw with Morocco on Matchday 1 leaves the door ajar for the 2022 semifinalists, who edged past Brazil’s final group opponents, Scotland, at Gillette Stadium on Friday.
Carlo Ancelotti is poised to introduce Neymar to this summer‘s tournament after he recovered from a calf injury, but Raphinha’s hamstring issue leaves the Italian with a sizeable void to fill in a fluid attack.
With that in mind, here’s the team Ancelotti could pick as Brazil faces off against the Tartan Army for the fifth time in World Cup history.
Brazil Predicted XI vs. Scotland
Pick Your Brazil XI!
GK: Alisson—Liverpool’s No. 1 earned his first clean sheet of the tournament last time out, with Haiti making him work after Brazil’s enthusiasm dropped in the second half. Scotland is unlikely to force Alisson into a batch of saves, especially with the Tartan Army only needing a point to advance.
RB: Danilo—The former Juventus and Manchester City defender remains reliable in his twilight, and Ancelotti would be wise to lean on him for the rest of the World Cup over the more erratic Roger Ibañez, who is more naturally a center back.
CB: Marquinhos—The mightily experienced center back will once again don the armband in Miami.
CB: Gabriel—Arsenal’s star defender will continue to work in tandem with Marquinhos here, and may have to be diligent, given Scotland’s aerial threat.
LB: Douglas Santos—The relatively unknown left back is walking a tightrope on Wednesday after picking up his first booking of the World Cup last time out.
RM: Lucas Paquetá—The Flamengo man produced a performance he sorely needed against Haiti, having been chastised for his work on Matchday 1. Paquetá plays a key role in connecting Brazil’s defense and attack.
CM: Bruno Guimarães—It‘s a long tournament, and Ancelotti ideally would rotate in midfield here. However, the Italian doesn’t have that luxury, given Brazil’s need to pick up three points.
CM: Casemiro—The veteran suffered against Morocco but offered stability against considerably lesser opposition last time out. Still, Scotland will feel as if it can bypass the former Manchester United midfielder in the center of the Hard Rock Stadium pitch and get at Brazil’s defense.
LM: Vinicius Junior—With Raphinha potentially missing the rest of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, there’s an even greater onus on Vinicius Jr to deliver. So far, he has.
ST: Matheus Cunha—Cunha linked up well with Vinicius Jr last time out, and his brace will doubtless give him confidence for the remainder of the World Cup. The Brazilian excelled in a fluid false nine role, which he’ll reprise against the Scots.
