Brazil v Switzerland: World Cup 2022 – live | World Cup 2022

21 min: Vargas chases a pass down the inside-right channel and enters the Brazil box. He spins and crosses instinctively, but Embolo hasn’t kept up with play and it’s a doddle for Brazil to tidy up.

19 min: A little bit of space suddenly for Paqueta on the left. He fires in a low cross. Richarlison isn’t far away from making contact at the near post, but misses with his slide and Elvedi, directly behind him, clears.

18 min: Brazil have had 46 percent possession so far; the Swiss 45; and nine to the enigmatic In Contest. It’s like that right now.

16 min: The free kick turns out to be an over-elaborate waste of time. Switzerland should have stuck it in the mixer. Speaking of Brazil doing the same, here’s Kári Tulinius: “It’s always best to describe Brazil like any other team. I remember the cognitive dissonance of being a young football fan in ‘94 hearing that Brazil were the home of the beautiful game, while Dunga, Leonardo et al scythed their way through opposing players like farmers hate-harvesting their crops.”

15 min: … but that’s not going to knock Switzerland’s confidence. And why would it? They’ve won four of their last five matches, beating Portugal and Spain along the way. Embolo sashays down the middle and is brought down clumsily by Casemiro. Free kick, 30 yards out in a central position.

13 min: Richarlison blazes down the inside-right channel again, this time chasing a Fred pass. He can’t control at high speed and trundles the ball out for a goal kick. After a quiet few minutes, Brazil have suddenly turned up the pace.

12 min: Paqueta flicks a clever ball around the corner and down the inside-right channel. Richarlison tears into the box and cuts back for Vinicius Jr, but doesn’t find his man. Switzerland clear.

10 min: Brazil are seeing more of the ball, but Switzerland have started confidently too. Widmer strides down the right but there’s nobody in the middle and he turns tail. “Looking at Brazil’s pennant, I’m reminded of Alexi Lalas’ beard,” writes Jeff K. “The dimensions of the pendant are also remarkably similar to the big American’s dial.”

8 min: Vinicius Jr traps a ball dropping from the sky, spins and sprints away down the left in one elegant movement. What skill! But the ball’s adjudged to have sailed out of play at one point, and Vinicius’s gallop is brought to a halt.

6 min: Sow, in fine fettle, races down the left and forces Thiago Silva into the concession of a cheap corner. Vargas’s delivery is no good, and the self-inflicted danger to Brazil is over.

5 min: Casemiro accidentally boots Sow up the hole. A proper comic-book toe-punt in the trousers. To be fair to the Brazilian midfielder, he didn’t know his man was there. It was more of a waft than a full-on punt and there’s no damage done.

3 min: Vinicius Jr makes his way down the left touchline and is barrelled over by Widmer. Another free kick, but this one is much further upfield, and Brazil will be sticking this one into the mixer. Brazil stick things into the mixer, right? Casemiro swings it in. Richarlison tries to connect, six yards out, but can’t manage it and the ball sails out for a Swiss throw on the other side.

2 min: The continuation of a nice, slow, patient start.

Switzerland get the ball rolling. They soon ship possession and Vinicius Junior runs at their back line. He’s knocked over, and from the free kick, Brazil opt to give their defenders a feel of the ball, pinging it around the back awhile.

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The teams are out! Brazil in their famous post-Maracanaço yellow, Switzerland in equally vivid red. The anticipation crackles around Stadium 974. And no wonder: there have already been 11 goals scored in today’s first two matches, so here’s to another festival of net-ripping entertainment. And why not? Brazil have scored more goals than any other team in World Cup history (231) while Switzerland were involved in the highest-scoring match at a tournament, a 7-5 quarter-final defeat to Austria at their own World Cup in 1954. That Swiss team’s defensive plan was known as The Bolt, as well. Another 12-goal thriller, then? Yes please! Yes please!

Earlier today in Group G, Cameroon and Serbia shared six goals in a mini-classic. Jonathan Wilson was at Al Janoub Stadium to see that one go this way then the other. As a result, should either Brazil or Switzerland win this afternoon, they’ll qualify for the last 16 with a game to spare, and will have one hand and at least a couple of fingers wrapped around the prize of a first-place finish. Here’s what the table looks like now.

Back by popular demand* … our occasional big-match series PENNANT WATCH!!! Thiago Silva will hand over a classy trinket befitting five-time champions of the world. Look at all those lovely golden tassels, flowing like a lion’s mane in the breeze.

However the Swiss effort, if we can call it that, gives off serious will-this-do vibes. To be fair the federation logo has a certain mid-80s charm, but that’s about it.

* Series has neither been demanded nor is popular

Switzerland are at the ground, all safe and sound, though it was a hairy ride. The driver of the team bus lost concentration in a traffic queue and pranged the car in front. The car behind then rammed the bus. It all happened in super slow-motion, so thankfully nobody was hurt, but that’s a yellow card for the driver, who also loses his no-claims bonus.

Neymar and Danilo, both out with ankle injuries, are replaced by Fred and Eder Militao in the Brazil starting XI. Fred joins his Manchester United team-mate Casemiro in the middle, with Lucas Paqueta pushed further forward. Calls to use Rodrygo from the get-go have been resisted. Militao will replace Danilo at right back.

Switzerland make one change to the team that started the 1-0 win over Cameroon. Fabian Rieder replaces erstwhile Stoke and Liverpool powercube Xherdan Shaqiri.

The teams

Preamble