BRAZIL v FRANCE: MATCH PREVIEW
Luiz Felipe Scolari has only won one of his six games since taking charge of the national team for the second time. While the Selecao have scored two goals a game under their new boss, a lack of defensive rigour has seen them keep just one clean sheet in those six games, shipping nine goals in that period.
In their most recent outing, they drew 2-2 at the Maracana against England and could have lost if it wasn’t for Paulinho’s 83rd-minute equalizer.
Leandro Damiao has picked up a thigh problem in training and he is set to miss out with replacement Jo looking to win his first senior cap since 2008. After impressing in the second period of the England friendly, Hernanes and Marcelo are pushing for starting places.
France’s recent record is not too strong either, they have lost three of their last five matches and fell to defeat in each of their last two. But Didier Deschamps is doing a very good rebuilding job of his own. Les Bleus are locked in the battle with Spain for the first place in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group, although home defeat to La Furia Roja is likely to cost them the automatic berth.
Despite dominating during their recent encounter with Uruguay, France's 1-0 loss was perhaps undeserving as Luis Suarez's second half strike was enough to separate the two teams.
Oliver Giroud is expected to continue upfront for Didier Deschamps’ men although Karim Benzema could make a return from recent injury troubles. Deschamps should recall his big guns for the Brazil game, with Yohan Cabaye, Adil Rami and Hugo Lloris all likely to start.
In their last seven meetings against the French, Brazil have only won once, with their European opponents winning four, including the FIFA World Cup final in 1998 and a World Cup quarter-final in 2006. With another win, France will record their country’s fifth win in the last six encounters against Brazil.
BRAZIL v FRANCE: PROBABLE LINEUPS
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Cesar – Alves, Silva, Luiz, Marcelo – Hernanes, Paulinho – Hulk, Oscar, Neymar – Fred.
France (4-2-3-1): Lloris – Debuchy, Koscielny, Rami, Mathieu – Cabaye, Matuidi – Payet, Valbuena, Gourcuff – Giroud.
BRAZIL v FRANCE: TEAM FORM
Brazil
2 Jun 2013 Brazil 2 - England 2 FR
25 Apr 2013 Brazil 2 - Chile 2 FR
6 Apr 2013 Bolivia 0 - Brazil 4 FR
25 Mar 2013 Brazil 1 - Russia 1 FR
21 Mar 2013 Italy 2 - Brazil 2 FR
France
5 Jun 2013 Uruguay 1 - France 0 FR
26 Mar 2013 France 0 - Spain 1 WCQE
22 Mar 2013 France 3 - Georgia 1 WCQE
6 Feb 2013 France 1 - Germany 2 FR
14 Nov 2012 Italy 1 - France 2 FR
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