World Cup 2018, Brazil vs Switzerland: What time is kick-off today, what TV channel is it on and what is our prediction?
What is it?
The first game of the World Cup 2018 for everyone's secret second team, Switzerland. Also, Brazil are playing.
When is it?
Sunday, June 17.
What time is kick-off?
The first ball will kicked at 7pm BST.
What TV channel is it on?
Your friends at ITV will be providing coverage and analysis of this one. Mark Pougatch will present a merry band of ex-professionals in discussion about the game, while Clive Tyldesley will have been working on his puns for many weeks in preparation.
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Where is the game being played?
The Rostov Arena, which - as you may have guessed - is in the Rostov-on-Don part of Russia. It holds around 45,000 people.
World Cup 2018 stadium: Rostov Arena
What is the team news?
Brazil are at full strength and will be in a 4-1-2-3 (4-3-3) with Neymar joining Willian and Gabriel Jesus in a formidable attack.
Tite has already (accidentally) (maybe) confirmed his starting XI after an apparent leak from a supposedly closed training session. If that turns out to be true, the team will be:
Alisson; Marcelo, Miranda, Silva, Danilo; Coutinho, Casemiro, Paulinho; Neymar, Jesus, Willian.
It's a very dynamic, functional Brazil who are both hard to score against and lethal on the counter-attack. Combined with the flair of players like Marcelo, Coutinho, and Willian - and that's before we get to Neymar - there's a fair chance they're going to score a few goals this tournament and should have enough about them to see off Switzerland.
The midfield battle will be absolutely crucial though and Tite must hope Casemiro and Paulinho don't get too adventurous. Coutinho certainly will and Switzerland may look to control the ball in the middle of the pitch.
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Switzerland have a solid base level of player but lack any real World's Greatest stars. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are the two standouts and there is a good mix of experience and youth.
They have no injuries and the only real decision that Vladimir Petkovic needs to make is who starts in goal. Roman Burki and Yann Sommer are the options there.
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What's the latest news on the two teams?
Brazil fancy themselves free of the horror of that Germany hiding.
"The 7-1 is no longer in our heads, we have the level to be world champions again and re-write our history," said defender Thiago Silva.
"We have greater confidence," added midfielder Paulinho. "Brazil are better prepared in a number of ways. That is just part of football. In four years you learn a lot of things."
And for Switzerland fans, here are some small little facts to consider:
Switzerland have lost only one match, away to Portugal in the World Cup qualifiers, since Euro 2016. They won all of their next nine games in qualifying and narrowly overcame Northern Ireland 1-0 in a playoff to make it to Russia. They beat Greece, Panama and Japan while drawing 1-1 with Spain in their last four friendlies.
Switzerland have appeared at 10 World Cups, including the last three, reaching the quarter-finals in 1934, 1938 and again in 1954 when they hosted the tournament. They reached the last-16 in 2014, where they lost to Argentina, and in 2006, when they lost to Ukraine on penalties.
What are the odds?
Brazil to win 2/5
Draw 19/5
Switzerland 17/2
What's our prediction?
Switzerland are thoroughly underrated and will pose problems, as well as making things difficult for Tite's side. Brazil just have too much quality though and should be able to come away with a reasonably comfortable win.
Brazil 2 Switzerland 0
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