Who will Brazil face in the World Cup second round? | OneFootball

Brazil’s path will be decided in this third round of the World Cup

The Brazil National Team takes the field this Wednesday (24) at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) to face Scotland in the final round of the group stage of the World Cup. Currently top of Group C, the team coached by Carlo Ancelotti can still finish first, second, or even third in the group, depending on the combination of results.

WHAT DOES BRAZIL NEED TO FINISH FIRST?

Brazil has four points, the same total as Morocco, but holds the advantage on the tiebreakers. To secure first place in Group C, the National Team needs to beat Scotland and hope Morocco does not defeat Haiti by a margin large enough to overturn a goal-difference advantage of more than four goals.

There are also other scenarios favorable to Brazil:

If they advance in first place, Brazil’s most likely opponent in the next round is Japan. If they continue in the tournament, Norway appears as a possible rival in the round of 16. The Asian side is second in Group F, behind the Netherlands.

WHAT DOES BRAZIL NEED TO FINISH SECOND?

Brazil will drop to second place if they draw with Scotland and Morocco beat Haiti. Another possibility is a Brazilian defeat combined with a Moroccan defeat, as long as the National Team keeps the advantage on the tiebreakers. In that scenario, the knockout path changes considerably. The likely opponent would be the Netherlands, and if they advance, Brazil would face the winner of the match between Switzerland and South Korea.

Brazil’s likely path if they advance in 2nd

IS THERE A CHANCE OF ELIMINATION?

The chance is remote. Since the final round still allows for several combinations of results, Brazil retains a minimal mathematical risk of missing out on the knockout stage. For that to happen, a very specific combination involving a Brazilian defeat and unfavorable results in the other group matches would be required.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE’S OPINION?

— Finishing second would place Brazil on a side of the bracket considered tougher. On that path are national teams such as Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal, increasing the level of difficulty on the road to the decisive stages. That is why the match against Scotland carries weight not only because of qualification, but also because of the possibility of securing a theoretically easier route in the pursuit of the world title — said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.