Entertainmant likely when Brazil face Japan

International friendly
Freeview, midday Friday

Japan tackle Brazil at midday in Lille so that both nations’ fans can watch the friendly on television at an hospitable hour and it is worth a wager that they are entertained with a flurry of goals.

There have been at least four goals scored in four of the teams’ last five meetings including a 4-0 neutral-venue success for Brazil in Singapore three years ago when Neymar bagged all four.

And the phenomenal Paris St-Germain striker is part of a near full-strength squad named by boss Tite with the express intention of examining attacking options in this Stade Pierre-Mauroy tussle, and then Tuesday’s outing at Wembley against England, before the World Cup next year.

Manchester City’s tyro hotshot Gabriel Jesus, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Taison and Diego Souza are the selected forwards alongside Neymar.

The Reds’ Philippe Coutinho is unlikely to feature against the Blue Samurai but Chelsea’s Willian, Douglas Costa, Diego, Renato Augusto and Giuliano are fellow midfielders who shine best in the final third of the pitch.

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It is not as if the likes of City’s Fernandinho, Paulinho and Casemiro are purely tackle-and-distribute midfielders either, or that their full-backs such as Dani Alves don’t like to bomb forward.

Since a shock group-stage exit in last year’s Copa America Centenario, Brazil have lost only one of 15 outings and that was a home friendly with Argentina.

The Selecao have also won their last ten away friendlies, scoring four or more goals on six occasions. Two years ago, they notably beat France 3-1 in Paris.

However, the flow of the match may not be all one-way.

Japan will also be in Russia next summer after topping their Asia qualification group and they have lost only two of their last 20 friendlies, one of which was the Singapore meeting.

Plenty of those games have been high-scoring, including last month’s 3-3 draw with Haiti and a 2-2 draw with Holland and 3-2 triumph over Belgium in 2013.

Both teams have scored in Brazil’s last four friendles in Europe, while they beat Turkey 4-0 in Istanbul.

Recommendation
Over 3.5 goals
1pt 7-4 Hills

Bet on this match at soccerbase.com

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