Brazil and Egypt will meet in an international friendly at the Maracanã in Rio. Under Carlo Ancelotti, the Seleção will use the occasion to test their squad and tactical approach, while Hassan will look to gauge his side's ceiling in a high-intensity tempo.
The latest FIFA rankings have Brazil sixth, down one spot from the previous list, and Egypt up two places to 29th. Both sides opened their campaigns at this tournament with 0-0 draws — Brazil were held by Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in turn, while Egypt shared goalless stalemates with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran — and fine-tuning both attack and defence remains a shared priority.
Brazil are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães forming a double pivot to win second balls and switch play quickly; Paquetá will link the front line, Vinícius Júnior cutting inside from the left and Raphinha driving down the right. The expected starters may include Alisson, Wesley, Marquinhos, Léo Pereira and Douglas Santos, with Igor Thiago leading the line.
Egypt mostly deploy a compact 3-4-1-2, dropping into a five-at-the-back shape out of possession, with wing-backs pushing forward once they regain the ball. Ashour provides support from deep behind the roaming playmaker, Salah tucks in from the right and Marmoush attacks the space in behind to pose a threat, while set pieces are another dangerous weapon.
The line-ups have yet to be announced, but this Rio friendly offers both sides a rare tactical dress rehearsal. If Brazil keep clean spacing in midfield, their front line can repeatedly cut into the box; once Egypt win the ball back, they can counter and get a shot off within seconds. Whoever breaks the deadlock in a tight contest will directly shape the confidence each side carries into the fixtures that follow.
