After a frustrating draw, Brazil meets Australia again in another friendly match

Four days after drawing 1-1, Brazil and Australia meet again this Tuesday (29) for another friendly in the Oceania country. This time, at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, starting at 7 a.m. (Brasília time).

Coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to make at least seven changes to the team that took the field last Friday (25), at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, in Townsville. The scorer of Brazil’s goal, already in stoppage time, striker Rayan is one of those who should start the match as a starter.

The defensive system will be completely different, with goalkeeper Otávio, full-backs Vanderson (right) and Mauro Júnior (left), and center-backs Jair and Gabriel Magalhães. Defensive midfielders Danilo and Bruno Guimarães will be joined by midfielder Gabriel Bontempo. Up front, Rayan forms the attacking trio with Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior.

Of the 26 players called up by Ancelotti, eight had never been called to the senior national team. Of them, two will make their debuts in the Seleção this Tuesday: Otávio and Gabriel Bontempo.

Full-back Matheuzinho started in the previous match, while Jair and Mauro Júnior came on in the final half in place of Vitor Reis and Douglas Santos, respectively. Goalkeeper Pedro Morisco, center-back Arthur Dias and defensive midfielders Breno Bidon are waiting for an opportunity.

“Breno [Bidon] is a player with a lot of quality, who is playing very well in the Brazilian Championship [for Corinthians]. I really liked Arthur Dias and the goalkeepers, whom I did not know. The truth is that they are all positive surprises. I really liked Gabriel Bontempo, Jair… I want to be objective: we have a future, despite the criticism,” Ancelotti said in a news conference this Monday (28).

"I think the generation that played in the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups is over. We have to build a new generation, taking into account some players from the previous generation who are old enough for the next World Cup. It is a very interesting moment for new and young players, aged 17, 18, 19. We hope to have the possibility and the opportunity to help them grow faster," the coach concluded.

On the Australian side, the goal is to repeat the level of performance from the previous match. According to coach Tony Popovic, who also spoke to the press this Monday, the national team is not used to facing "top-level" opponents every four days, unlike the Brazilians, who regularly compete in major tournaments and in the UEFA Champions League, the world's main club competition.

"It will be a great test for us to observe: can we recover physically? Mentally? Can we again show the quality we displayed with and without the ball? That is why we are facing Brazil and we are pleased that they came here to provide us with this great test," the coach said.

If he repeats the lineup from the last friendly, Popovic should field Australia with Patrick Beach; Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington; Jacob Italiano, Jackson Irvine, Paul Okon-Engstler and Connor Metcalfe; Aziz Behich, Kusini Yengi and Nestory Irankunda. The latter scored, from a free kick, the goal that opened the scoring in Townsville.

After the matches in Australia, Brazil travels to India. The friendly against the home national team will be next Saturday (3), at 11 a.m., at Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.