The last meeting:
The most recent meeting between the two sides was during the final round of the group stages, and Spain came out victorious with a 2-0 defeat.
Brazil dominated the possession within the first twenty minutes of the game but ended the first half with the loss of Brazilian legend Marta, who received a straight red card.
A high challenge against Carmona meant Brazil were left to see out the game with only 10 players on the pitch.
Marta is serving a two-match suspension and will not be available for the upcoming game against Spain.
Spain took control during the second half as Athenea del Castillo and Alexia Putellas doubled their lead which led to them clinching onto the top spot of Group C.
Both sides Olympic journey so far:
Brazil have had a rocky journey as they’ve progressed through the Olympic ranks, winning only two out of their four games played.
They opened the tournament strong with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria and recently took home a win in the quarter-finals against France, knocking the host nation out.
Spain have won all four games played, but recently felt the fear of the Olympic title slipping away from that after a 2-2 draw against Colombia.
The game went to penalties, leading to Spain’s progression onto the next stage.
Neither team have had the luxury of claiming the Olympic gold medal, but Brazil have claimed the secondary position twice before.
Both teams have had international success in recent years which can help to provide a thrilling ninety minutes as the need to add another victory to the record takes over.
Brazil are the most highly-decorated women’s national team in South America, having won eight out of the nine editions of the Copa America championship.
Spain have recently been claimed World Cup champions after battling England for an excruciating 103 minutes.
How might the teams lineup?
Brazil have utilised a variety of formations recently, with the latest being a 5-1-2-3, making it harder to predict how the Brazilians will line-up.
However, with the absence of leading goal scorer Marta, we expect to see a solid defence, including players such as Rafaelle, Lauren and Antonia, to ensure the risk of conceding is minimal.
Spain have started in a 4-1-2-3 formation for all their Olympic clashes so far, a predicted line-up seeing the likes of Ona Batlle and Laia Aleixandri featuring in the backline along with Cata Coll in goal.
We could also see midfield maestros Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati being paired up in midfield, who have been crucial players for the Spanish side with Putellas scoring late goals in the past few games.
How to watch:
The BBC is the main broadcaster for the Olympics within the United Kingdom, however not all events are streamed on this platform. Any remaining events will be televised on Eurosport.
Spain vs Brazil kicks off at 8pm [BST] on Tuesday 06 August 2024.
Featured image courtesy of Thierry Balint via Flickr. No changes have been made to this image. License details found here.
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