Key analysis: Attacking armada give Brazil great shot at World Cup glory

For a five-time world champion team, 20 years without the trophy is a long time. Therefore, a sixth championship is Brazil's only goal in Qatar. If the mission fails again, it will be the national team's worst ever tournament run, tied with the period between 1970 and 1994.

Despite the pressure, confidence in the title is high. Tite's work, which has lasted six years, is extremely solid. And the squad, which offered few established attacking talents besides Neymar in 2018, gained great alternatives to the team's star player, such as Richarlison (25), Raphinha (25), Vinicius and Antony (22).

The Brazilian national team is unbeaten since the defeat in the final of the Copa America 2021, with 12 wins and three draws. The lack of encounters with European teams, however, leaves an asterisk on the excellent numbers. In the entire Qatar cycle, Brazil had only one opponent from the continent: the Czech Republic, in a friendly match played in Prague, which ended in a Brazilian victory.

And it is precisely the European teams that are Brazil's biggest stumbling block in their quest for a sixth title. The victory over Germany in the 2002 final was the last in a knockout match against a team from the continent. Since then, the national team has been eliminated from every time it has faced a European team in a do-or-die match.

Strengths

The harmony achieved by the Brazilian national team since the arrival of Tite is one of the great assets in the quest for the sixth star on the jersey. The backbone of Alisson (30), Thiago Silva (38), Marquinhos (28), Casemiro (30) and Neymar is hardly surpassed by any other title favourites.

The defensive solidity, a hallmark of the coach's first cycle, remains in evidence: only five goals conceded in the last 15 games. And if in 2018 there were doubts about the attacking ability of the stalwarts, now there are few doubts.

Not surprisingly, Tite called up to nine strikers among the 26 called up.

In adverse situations that will surely arise in Qatar, the coach can close his eyes and choose from the bench someone capable of changing the game. Unlike in 2010, 2014 and 2018, when Brazil lacked reserves who would have an immediate impact when they took the field.

Weaknesses

Full backs are undoubtedly Brazil's biggest concern in Qatar. The shortage in the sector was exposed by the call-up of Daniel Alves (39), already far from world football's elite. Right sided starter Danilo (31) has been more defender than full back at Juventus; on the left, Alex Sandro (31) has also been experimenting with his new position at club level.

As well as being out of step with the rest of the starting line-up, the pairing may not be the best for what Tite asks of his team's full backs: build on the inside. And it was precisely because of the quality in this respect that the coach called up Alves, even with all the controversy surrounding the decision.

And although the defensive system has great numbers, the problem is in the air. Of the last five goals conceded by the national team, three came from this. The potential fragility may be immediately evident in the opener against a Serbia team with a lot of tall players.

Ideal XI

Alisson - Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro - Casemiro, Fred, Raphinha, Neymar, Lucas Paqueta - Richarlison

The choice of players points to a 4-3-3, but Brazil's recent games point to a 4-2-3-1, with Neymar in the number 10 role and Lucas Paqueta (25) on the left. Regardless of the positions, the hallmark of the attack is the intense movement between players, even more so with Richarlison as the mobile nine.

In attack, the team should form a 2-3-5 formation, with Fred (29) bringing the attacking quartet together to create numerical superiority in the opposition half. The full backs, meanwhile, are positioned further back, alongside Casemiro (30). Without the ball, the tendency is towards a 4-4-2, with Neymar more free up front.

Tite, however, has already tried variations to the system of play. If he opts for Eder Militao (24) instead of one of the full-backs, the team will be three deep when they have the ball.

Hottest contest

Looking at Brazil's likely starting XI for the tournament, one question begs to be asked: where is Vinicius? Although he is one of the best players in the game today, he has yet to establish himself in the national team, with just one goal in 16 games.

His main rival, on paper, is Raphinha, but the Barcelona player has given little reason to leave Tite's starting XI since taking over, with five goals in 11 games. If there are gaps in Qatar, however, Raphinha is unlikely to keep the job, as no one questions the technical superiority of Vini. Another option for the Real Madrid player is to exclude Fred or Paqueta, leaving the team super attacking.

In defence, Danilo has been a first-choice starter due to lack of competition, but Militao is not ruled out in his place. Although at club level the Real Madrid player has not played on the wing since his time at Porto, Tite has already tried him there on occasion, and could repeat the trick in Qatar.

Predicition

Bookmakers and specialists believe: Brazil are favourites for the world title. To confirm this status, the team will have to show strength right away, with tough opponents in the group: Serbia and Switzerland, who already appeared in the 2018 group.

And unlike the last four tournaments, the round of 16 should be with Portugal and Uruguay as possible opponents. From there on, the Brazilian path in Qatar should have only giants, and a likely path to the final has Spain in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semi-finals.

To finally win the coveted sixth, it is necessary to end the uncomfortable curse against the Europeans in the last 16. Tite's team has plenty of quality for that and has everything to put Brazil back on top of the world.