Mexico vs Brazil Prediction: Vinicius Jr. to continue excellent form in front of goal
Mexico and Brazil face off this Sunday (02:00 BST) in a friendly at Kyle Field in Texas ahead of this summer's Copa America. El Tri's 1-0 over Bolivia was followed by a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Uruguay on Thursday.
Brazil are in action for the first time since drawing 3-3 with Spain in March, and they will want to have a positive run-out to get into rhythm for the summer tournament. Below I have given my Mexico vs Brazil prediction, which also features team news and match odds.
Mexico are 5/1 to win here, which gives them an implied probability of 16.7%. Brazil are valued at 8/15, giving them a 65.2% chance of victory. The draw can be backed at 16/5 (23.8%).
Both teams to score is marketed at 5/6 and over 2.5 goals is on offer at 4/5.
Team News
Mexico boss Jaime Lozano is likely to make changes to the team that started in the 4-0 demolition against Uruguay. One of them could see Feyenoord forward, Santiago Gimenez, called in to lead the line following his fruitful season in front of goal in the Netherlands.
Luis Romo and Alexis Vega might be in line to feature, too, while West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez is on course to keep his place in the middle of the park.
For Brazil, their Champions League-winning stars of Real Madrid in Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Eder Militao could all start here.
Alisson Becker will start in goal with Ederson out injured, while fellow Premier League stars Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes and Douglas Luiz could all be given the nod to start in Texas.
Teenage sensation Endrick could be in line to earn his fifth cap for Selecao and we could see Barcelona's Raphinha feature in the front three.
Brazil to win to nil @ 6/4
Brazil will be fancying their chances at the Copa America this summer, and they are the second favourites at 11/5, behind reigning champions Argentina with Betfred.
The quality within their ranks, particularly in attack and midfield, justify why they are so favoured. Mexico may have had a couple of warm-up fixtures already to get into a rhythm, but I still think Brazil, who haven't played at all in this international break so far, should have too much for them.
Boss Dorival Junior is likely to pick a strong lineup here to help him suss out what his best XI will look like for the Copa America opener against Costa Rica in a few weeks' time.
With two of the hottest attacking players in Europe in Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo on the flanks, fresh off the back of another Champions League triumph with Los Blancos, Brazil's Copa America rivals will be trembling at the thought of facing them, particularly the former after a stunning campaign.
El Tri will be relived that they are only meeting them in a friendly but I still expect them to be in for a rough ride over these 90 minutes as Brazil will want to fire a warning to those taking part in the Copa America that they are a force to be reckoned with.
I fancy them to win this one comfortably and they should keep a clean sheet in the process.
Vinicius Jr. anytime goalscorer @ 7/4
Brazil's maestro on the wing has been incredible this past season with Real Madrid. He scored 24 goals across all competitions, including six in the Champions League, and he is a firm favourite to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award this year.
His main rival will be his Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham, who also had a fruitful year in front of goal, and was recently crowned La Liga Player of the Season in his debut campaign.
The deciding factor for these two superstars looks to be how they fare on the international stage this summer. Vinicius Jr. will be looking for Copa America glory, while Bellingham will be searching for the same thing at Euro 2024.
Should one of these players prevail with their national team, they will have essentially have wrapped up football's most glamorous individual award for themselves, but they will also need to play starring roles in the process.
Vinicius Jr. will be relishing the chance to get the nod to start against Mexico so that he can get a good workout playing alongside his compatriots before taking on the responsibility of being their man in the United States of America.
El Tri will have a lot of trouble in trying to keep him quiet if he does given the season he has just had. So if you're looking for the smartest choice when it comes to picking a goalscorer, then the Brazilian is your man.
You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.
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