Quarter-final: Brazil vs Colombia
Venue: Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
Kick-off: 9pm (5pm, Brazil time)
TV coverage: ITV1, from 8.30pm
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo, Spain
Managers:
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil)
Jose Pekerman (Argentina)
Key clash: Paulinho (Brazil) v James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Paulinho returns to the Brazil side after Luiz Gustavo’s suspension and has the task of replicating the form of the hosts’ most consistent performer. That will be easier said than done up against Rodriguez who has proven unstoppable for the defences he has faced so far.
One to watch: Neymar (Brazil)
How could it be anyone else? Nearly kicked off the park against Chile, Brazil will need to get the ball to him in central areas as much as possible, with Fred and Hulk not up to much so far.
Head-to-head record: Played 25 Brazil Wins 15, Draws 8, Colombia Wins 2
Opta stats:
- Brazil have reached the quarter-finals in each of their last six World Cups, but haven’t gone further than this round since 2002.
- Colombia have made the quarter-finals for the first time in their World Cup history.
- This will be the first World Cup meeting between the two South American sides.
- The last four games between Brazil and Colombia have ended in draws, with three of those finishing goalless.
- In their last clash in New York which ended 1-1, Juan Cuadrado opened the scoring just before half-time, with Neymar equalising in the second half.
- Colombia last beat Brazil at the Copa America in 1991, losing seven and drawing five since that encounter.
- That defeat remains Brazil’s only competitive loss to Colombia, winning 13 of their competitive meetings (D6 L1).
- Colombia have failed to score in nine of their last 12 games against Brazil.
- The Selecao have scored eight goals so far in the tournament, as many as they managed to reach the quarter finals in 2010.
- Brazil have lost just one of their last 16 World Cup games when they had scored first (W13 D2).
- Los Cafeteros’ 11 goals is the best ever haul in a World Cup. They need three more to beat their combined total of goals from their previous four World Cup appearances (14).
- James Rodriguez is looking to become the first player since Rivaldo in 2002 to score in the first five games of a World Cup.
- Should Rodriguez score here, he would become the first player to score in his first five career World Cup appearance since Teofilo Cubillas (across the 1970 and 1978 tournaments).
- The Monaco player has scored with five of seven shots on target the tournament so far.
- Juan Cuadrado is the first player to provide four assists in a World Cup since Riquelme and Totti in 2006.
- In Serie A 2013/14, Cuadrado managed just five assists in 32 games, just one more than he has already provided in this World Cup.
- Fred has managed to register just four shots on target in the tournament, three of those coming against Cameroon.
- Brazil have conceded in each of their last eight World Cup quarter-finals.
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