Chile vs. Brazil: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Thursday evening, Brazil will travel to Santiago to play against Chile in a CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifier in a must-win match.

Despite having been in the position for less than 12 months, Dorival Junior is facing mounting pressure as Brazil's manager, as the Selecao is at risk of missing out on the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The national setup of Brazil has yet to reach a crisis point; however, a subpar October could potentially result in the spread of panic throughout the country.

Brazil is the sole nation to have participated in every World Cup since its inception in 1930; however, they are at risk of failing to qualify for the 2026 finals despite the tournament's expansion to 48 teams.

CONMEBOL has been granted an additional two automatic qualifying spots, which could serve as a reprieve for Brazil, as they would be outside of the group if the format had not been expanded.

However, Brazil's current performance does not guarantee its continued position in the top six, as Venezuela, Paraguay, and Bolivia are close behind.

Paraguay defeated the Selecao on matchday eight last month, and Brazil has only obtained 10 points after eight matches. They are currently tied with Venezuela, and only one fact is clear between Bolivia and Paraguay.

Brazil has also suffered defeats against the current top three, resulting in only two victories in their last nine competitive games. During the summer, Dorival Junior's team was eliminated from the Copa America in the quarterfinals.

Brazil's record against Chile is typically excellent, with only one loss in their last 19 meetings. Consequently, it is ideal to confront the current bottom two in CONMEBOL qualifying.

The current state of Chile's performance indicates a slim likelihood of them improving upon their dismal record against the Selecao, as they are currently experiencing a full-blown crisis.

Despite the appointment of Ricardo Gareca, the fortunes of a nation that has won the Copa America on consecutive occasions in 2015 and 2016 have yet to be significantly improved.

In the summer, Chile failed to score a goal during the Copa America group stages and subsequently suffered a 3-0 defeat in Gareca's inaugural qualifier against Argentina.

Although the new manager could be excused for that loss, there was no justification for their performance at home a few days later. They became the first team in 67 matches and over three decades to lose a home qualifier against Bolivia.

Chile's sole victory in the section was achieved against Peru, the team remaining below them in the standings. La Roja is currently ranked ninth with a mere five points.

Chile is on the brink of missing the finals for the third time in a row, a scenario that no La Roja fan would have anticipated following their courageous performance at the 2014 World Cup unless an immediate and significant improvement is made.

Chile x Brazil Team News

Unsurprisingly, Gareca implemented numerous personnel modifications for the team humiliated by Bolivia last month.

Mauricio Isla and Gabriel Arias, both veterans, have been replaced by newer players in the squad. Ben Brereton Diaz, who has struggled for his club and country, has also been excluded due to his poor performance.

Matias Catalan and Vicente Pizarro are also unavailable, while Alexis Sanchez remains injured and has not yet appeared since his return to Udinese.

Alisson, the goalkeeper for Brazil, incurred a groin injury during Liverpool's victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Consequently, Ederson is expected to earn his 26th cap.

Vinicius Junior has also been compelled to withdraw due to a minor neck injury, resulting in a division of the Real Madrid front three. Rodrygo and Endrick are still expected to make an appearance.

Dorival Junior is currently experiencing several defensive ailments, including the absence of Bremer, Eder Militao, and Guilherme Arana. Consequently, Gabriel Magalhaes, an Arsenal player, is almost sure to earn his tenth cap in this match.

Our Predictions

Brazil to win @ 1.60 on Sky247.ng

Brazil's recent performance could have been better; however, a few more favorable fixtures could have been assigned to them to resume their winning streak.

Chile is in a state of disarray, and there needs to be more evidence to suggest that manager Gareca can make sufficient progress with his squad briefly to compete with the greatest in South America following a humiliating home loss to Bolivia.

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