On December 9, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar resumes after a two-day break, and the quarterfinal matches kick off. The teams of Croatia and Brazil will be the first to battle for a spot in the semifinals. This is a critical match for both sides, so let’s break it down and see what might unfold.
Pre-match breakdown
Throughout the tournament, the Croatian team has secured just one win in regular time, which happened in the group stage when they defeated Canada (4:1). In the group, they drew 0:0 twice against Belgium and Morocco, which was enough to advance to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Croatia faced Japan and only won through a penalty shootout.
Brazil has looked much more confident. The team beat Serbia and Switzerland, then fielded a reserve squad for their third group game against Cameroon. Yes, the Africans won, but it was against the bench players. In the round of 16, Brazil faced no real challenges, taking on South Korea and sealing the match in the first half with four unanswered goals.
Croatia
Let’s be honest, Croatia is one of the most lackluster teams in the tournament. If you set aside their four goals against Canada, they’ve played to 0:0 draws twice and a 1:1 in the first knockout round. Sure, they advanced via penalties, but their prospects against Brazil look pretty dim.
Overall, the team tries to play an attacking style at times, but the players’ quality is letting them down. Many are getting on in years, and some key figures have left the squad. It’s hard to imagine Croatia putting up a real fight against Brazil, who’s been steamrolling through the tournament.
Brazil
The Brazilians are acting like they’ve already won the World Cup. They’re showing off, demonstrating their dominance, dancing, and pulling off some non-traditional soccer moves. For example, in the round of 16, they subbed out goalkeeper Alisson for the third-string keeper, giving every player in the squad a chance to play in the tournament.
Unfortunately for the South Americans, they do run into issues at times, which they’ve overcome with effort. Take their match against Switzerland, which ended in a narrow 1:0 win. And their bench lost to Cameroon outright. This suggests that if a couple of key players are out, problems could arise. But for now, Brazil is still the stronger side. The main thing is they don’t get complacent…
Prediction for the match
I think the script is clear. Brazil will stick to their usual attacking style no matter what’s on the scoreboard. Croatia, on the other hand, will likely start cautiously. They have solid defensive players, but it might not be enough. With Brazil in top form, they look unbeatable right now. So, we’re expecting the South Americans to score an early goal and kick off another goal-fest.
Prediction: Over 2.5 total goals with odds of 1.80.
