This Wednesday (24), the Brazilian team will take the field against Scotland aiming to secure the first position in Group C in the World Cup. However, an analysis released by The Athletic portal, the sports division of the renowned American newspaper The New York Times, suggests that the outcome may not be as expected, with one of its experts betting on a setback for the South American team.
“The Scots will achieve a surprise, drawing or even defeating Brazil. You can ask questions about Vinicius Junior and Nathan Patterson, but I am convinced that Scotland has strategies to frustrate Carlo Ancelotti’s ‘galacticos'”, declared Hill Lopez-Menchero, an English journalist with expertise in global football, in his publication.
The projection contradicts Brazil’s largely favorable history in direct confrontations. In ten matches played between the two teams, Scotland never managed a victory, recording eight defeats and two draws. In duels valid for World Cups, there were four meetings, with three Brazilian victories and one draw. The last time they faced each other at a World Cup was in the 1998 edition, which marked Scotland’s last participation until the current tournament.
Currently, Brazil occupies the lead in Group C with four points won. The team led by Carlo Ancelotti started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco and then beat Haiti 3-0 in the second round.
On the other hand, Scotland is in third place in the group, with three points. The European team won a victory over Haiti and suffered a defeat against Morocco, both scores 1-0. Both Brazil and Scotland, and even Morocco, still have real chances of advancing to the next stage as group leaders, making the clash crucial.
In addition to the bold prediction for the game between Brazil and Scotland, The Athletic also published other estimates for the third round of the World Cup. Among them, the site anticipates another disappointment for Belgium, which would be eliminated in the group stage after stumbling against New Zealand, and predicts Cape Verde’s qualification for the knockout stages.