Saturday evening sees the 2024 Olympic hosts take on Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Only one team can progress onto the next stage in their hunt for gold, who will it be?
Both sides have a solid history when it comes to securing a place on the podium, however Brazil’s undeniable skill to be one of the best-ranked third-place teams does not go unnoticed.
Noticeable Meeting:
One of the most recent meetings between France and Brazil was during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 when France took the lead in a nail-biting game.
France started strong as Eugenie le Sommer put them ahead in the 17th minute. A deep cross from Karchaoui saw Diani pass to Le Summer who greeted the ball with a perfectly cushioned header into the net.
The remainder of the first half remained rigid from Brazil who lacked the fluidity to change tactics and open any space for chances. However, Brazil ended their silence in the 58th minute after Debinha gracefully finished past Peyraud-Magnin.
The game looked like it was going to result in a draw but a late header from France Captain Wendie Renard saw France take the lead.
Both sides Olympic journey so far:
Both teams have had a rocky start to their Olympic journey, with France narrowly scraping a win against Colombia and New Zealand, and Brazilian legend Marta receiving a red card in their game against Spain.
Marta received a straight red card during their 2-0 defeat by Spain just before half time.
A dangerous high-footed tackle from the forward narrowly missed Olga Carmona’s head which resulted in her being sent off.
She will now miss the upcoming game against France, and her hopes of making one last international appearance before retirement rely on Brazil making it through.
Brazil will notice the absence of Marta as she is the all-time leading scorer in World Cup’s for both the men and women – a key skill needed in a quarter-final.
How might the teams lineup?
In both previous Olympic fixtures, France have used a 4-1-2-3 lineup, so we expect the same formation will be used again. A strong defensive backline will need to be present if France want a chance of with-standing Brazil's desire to push high, so we expect players such as Bacha, Renard and de Almeida to make an appearance.
Brazil have utilised two formations recently, 4-4-2 and 5-2-3 so it is harder to predict how the Brazilians will line-up. However, we expect to see a solid defence, including players such as Rafaelle, Lauren and Antonia.
How to Watch:
The BBC is the main broadcaster for the Olympics within the United Kingdom, however not all events are streamed on the platform. Any remaining events will be televised on Eurosport.
France vs Brazil kicks off at 8pm [BST] on Saturday 03 August 2024.
Featured image courtesy of Michael Tracy via Flickr. No changes have been made to this image. License details found here.
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