Brazil and Mexico square off in Samara on Monday looking to book their place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Brazil have been far from the brilliant best we know they are capable of in Russia, while Mexico lit up the tournament in the opening phase but almost failed to qualify after a disastrous final game in Group F saw them squashed 3-0 by Sweden.
Ahead of the last 16 clash, we look at three talking points.
NEYMAR HOPING TO AVOID BEING RON OUT OF TOWN
Down and out: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
Lionel Messi and Argentina survived the ignominy of heading home early like dethroned champions Germany by the skin of their teeth, but crashed out anyway on the opening day of the World Cup’s knockout stages.
The Barcelona behemoth might well have bumped into Cristiano Ronaldo at the airport later on Saturday evening after the Real Madrid superstar followed suit with Portugal in the later game.
Neymar completes the podium of the three biggest superstars in football today, so will he and Brazil be bounced out of the tournament at the second hurdle as well come Monday evening?
Fans of the Samba side and the game’s greatest players, not to mention the FIFA hierarchy, will hope not. But both player and team will have to show more than what they have up to this point.
Brazil haven’t been a complete and utter national embarrassment in Russia, unlike their South American brethren. They at least have a bit of soul and rhythm unlike the very one dimensional Portuguese – who despite picking a much more talented squad than the one with which they won the European Championship two summers ago – proved incredibly hollow without their talisman at top form.
But Canarinho have not been completely on song either, with disjointed performances littering their group games.
They drew their opener against Switzerland, having shrunk into their shell after a blistering beginning. Fears of a group stage exit were staved off as Costa Rica were eventually vanquished at the death, before a relative stroll against Serbia confirmed progress.
Poster boy Neymar’s lasting impression so far though has been of a spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram more violently than he’s been throwing himself to the floor.
If he wants to avoid an early flight home, he and Brazil have to finally get off the ground.
HISTORY WEIGHS HEAVILY ON MEXICO
Hirving Lozano and Mexico need to bounce back after a 3-0 defeat to Sweden.
Never mind the fact Mexico are aiming to unburden themselves of facing the prospect of going out at the round of 16 stage for a seventh successive tournament – El Tri can count themselves fortunate to even be here.
Chasing a maiden quarter-final berth in 32 years seemed like it would prove eminently possible following two swashbuckling displays in their opening two group games.
Then, a shambolic showing against the Swedes threatened to undo all their fabulous work. Had reigning champions Germany been anything but a mere shadow of the side that were crowned kings four years ago, a draw for them against South Korea would have been enough to see Die Mannschaft sneak through.
So having begun so brightly, there’s now plenty of work for Juan Carlos Osorio’s side to do. And having to beat the mighty Brazil is hardly a task to tempt them into dreaming of emulating the side that last reached the last eight on home soil in 1986.
For a nation with a rich pedigree of competing at the World Cup – El Tri have featured in 16 tournaments (only Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina have made more appearances) since being one of just 13 teams to play at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 – Mexico have performed poorly.
A pair of quarter-final appearances – and they came when they hosted in 1970 and 1986 – are all they have to show for the last 88 years.
They are the worst performing country in a list of the top-20 with the most finals appearances.
Everyone else has at least a fourth-place finish to their name, except Switzerland – and even they have achieved one more last eight appearance.
Mexico will co-host in eight years’ time, but have a real chance to make history if they can claim Brazil’s scalp in Samara.
PLAYING FAVOURITES
Germany’s demise is a lesson for Brazil to learn from.
Similarly, for Brazil, they should not be particularly buoyed by Mexico’s malaise in their final group game.
It would have been a travesty to see one of the most engaging teams to watch over the first two weeks go out – particularly after winning their opening two games – but it very nearly happened in a madcap Group F full of thrills, spill and utter chaos.
Brazil, like many of the superpowers, have heavily underperformed and underwhelmed in Russia, while the likes of Monday’s opponents Mexico, and other considerably lesser lights like Croatia and Sweden, have shone.
So while Canarinho fans might well look to this contest as a given, Tite and his players would be playing an extremely dangerous game if they approach the contest in a similar manner.
After all, the biggest flops of the tournament so far have been Germany. Their horror show of a tournament all started when they came into the World Cup in first gear and were completely overrun by the North Americans. They had been in poor form throughout a lackluster 2018, but once they had been steamrollered by El Tri, it all began to unravel.
The players at least are keenly aware of the pitfalls that lie ahead, with Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro warning his team-mates to ignore the fact they are billed by many as favourites not only to win the game, but also the World Cup.
“The shirt doesn’t win you the game. Look at Germany,” said the 26-year-old.
“With all the players they have, all that favouritism, they were still knocked out in the first round.
“We are relaxed about it. All our players are top class, their clubs are always favourites. We always have respect, tranquility and humility. We have to play football to beat Mexico.”
