Brazil vs Mexico World Cup 2018 LIVE: Neymar scores as Selecao book place in last eight - latest reaction from Samara
Follow all the action from the last-16 clash in Samara
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Your support makes all the difference.After a worrying draw against Switzerland and relying on a late goals to beat Costa Rica, Brazil eased any early tournament worries with an improved performance against Serbia as they qualified as Group E winners.
Mexico made light work of world champions Germany and South Korea in their first two games but lost 3-0 against Sweden in their last game. Their qualification was all-but sealed however if Germany won against South Korea, then Mexico would be home by now.
Brazil have the edge over Mexico in their recent meetings, but the sides drew 0-0 in their meeting in the 2014 World Cup group stages.
Follow the live action below...
What time is it?
Brazil vs Mexico kicks off at 15:00 at the Samara Arena.
Where can I watch it?
ITV will be showing live coverage on ITV 1 and online on the ITV Hub
Odds
Brazil: 1/2
Mexico: 7/1
Draw (90 minutes): 3/1
Prediction
Brazil 2-1 Mexico (after extra time). Brazil have looked very fragile at the back and Mexico have been very impressive on the break. The problem for Mexico is that they are likely to be committing so many players to defending that they may struggled to get players into dangerous areas in the way they did against Germany.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Brazil vs Mexico in Samara.
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Some big names have bowed over the last few days and both Brazil and Mexico will be hoping they can avoid a similar fate.
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A coach characterised by restraint and method, Tite did nonetheless take the minor risk of naming his team before the clash with Mexico.
Filipe Luis, who replaced Marcelo after the Real Madrid defender experienced back spasms against Serbia, will start in the latter’s place.
Otherwise it is the same team that looked solid yet creative against the Serbs in confirming their place atop the group and securing this tie with the Mexicans, with the hope that the better displays since the draw with Switzerland can continue and propel them to a quarter-final place.
Recent history suggests Brazil have every right to be confident ahead of today's match. They have not failed to reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup since 1990, while Mexico have been knocked out in the round of 16 on their last six tournament appearances.
That said, this has been the World Cup of shocks...
Russia showcased a potential blueprint for upsets in this World Cup by stifling Spain and ultimately edging them in a dramatic penalty shootout. Mexico face similar odds, having never beaten Brazil at the World Cup, but coach Juan Carlos Osorio insisted on Sunday that attack will continue to be the best form of defence for his team.
“We won’t sit back and wait," he said. "Brazil’s attackers are too good for that to be the right plan. We will stick to our idea of having at least four or five attacking players [on the pitch]."
Thiago Silva will captain Brazil in Samara as Tite continues his policy of rotating the armband at this World Cup.
“Off the pitch, I’m a shy guy who barely speaks," he said when asked about his personality in a news conference ahead of the match.
"I don’t even like to give interviews. But on the pitch it seems like I transform myself. I will speak all the time. I can be even a pain to my team-mates. Sometimes they will even tell me to stop just a bit.”
Brazil's captain for the day was also asked if, given the exploits of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani in the round of 16, it is time for Neymar to make his own spectacular mark on this World Cup.
“You may not believe it, but I was thinking exactly about that, and that Neymar will have his way in our match," Thiago Silva replied. "PSG is well represented here.”
All eyes will once again be on Neymar in Samara, but Philippe Coutinho has emerged as arguably Brazil's most important player in this World Cup.
The Barcelona playmaker has been directly involved in three of Brazil's five goals at the tournament, including the decisive strike in the 91st minute that broke Costa Rica's resolve and provided the turning point for Tite's team in Group E.
Mexico have confirmed that former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez starts against Brazil today. The 39-year-old became only the third player in history after Lothar Matthaus and countryman Antonio Carbajal to feature in five World Cups when he came on as a substitute against Germany and South Korea, but putting him in the starting XI is a big call from Osorio.
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