Brazil vs. Colombia: Live Stream, Schedule for World Cup 2018 Qualifier
Just one point separates South American powerhouses Colombia and Brazil in the CONMEBOL qualifying group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the pair set to meet in Manaus on Tuesday.
The Selecao are sitting precariously in fifth spot—which would see them forced into a play-off—although there is still a long way to go in the campaign, and they could leapfrog third-placed Colombia with victory at the Arena da Amazonia.
There have been a number of brutal clashes between Colombia and Brazil in recent years and another bruising encounter is to be expected.
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Here are the full scheduling and viewing details:
Date: Tuesday, September 6
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET, 1:45 a.m. BST (Wednesday)
TV Info: beIN Sports USA
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect
Both sides go into Tuesday's clash on the back of recent qualifying wins, Brazil having beaten Ecuador 3-0 on the road, while Colombia hosted Venezuela and claimed a 2-0 victory.
With Los Cafeteros the away side for their match against the Selecao, they will likely set up to hit their hosts on the counter-attack, a tactic that has proved effective for them in recent matches.
Luis Muriel, Carlos Bacca and James Rodriguez are a huge threat going forward, with the Real Madrid playmaker continuing to thrive for his country despite intermittent struggles at club level, per Opta:
James netted Colombia's opener against Venezuela and then set up Macnelly Torres' 81st-minute strike to put the game to bed.
The 25-year-old will be vital for manager Jose Pekerman against Brazil as his creativity could be the key component for Colombia in front of goal.
Brazil are likely to dominate the possession, so Colombia will need to take their chances if they are to pick up all three points from one of the most difficult fixtures of the campaign.
A Neymar penalty and a Gabriel Jesus double—all netted in the final 20 minutes of the match—saw Brazil to victory against Ecuador.
Willian, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Marcelo and Casemiro were all also included in manager Tite's starting XI in Quito, and the same side would have a good chance of beating Colombia in Manaus if they produce a complete performance.
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | D | P |
| 1 | Argentina | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 14 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 13 |
| 3 | Colombia | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 13 |
| 4 | Ecuador | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 13 |
| 5 | Brazil | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 12 |
| 6 | Paraguay | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 12 |
| 7 | Chile | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 10 |
| 8 | Bolivia | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 6 |
| 9 | Peru | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 4 |
| 10 | Venezuela | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 1 |
In terms of head-to-head record, Brazil have a slight edge in recent years. They beat Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in a feisty battle and also won 2-0 as the two sides met last month in the quarter-finals of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games tournament.
Colombia prevailed 1-0 in a tight clash in the 2015 Copa America, but their record of playing the Selecao in Brazil does not make for happy reading.
Victory for the Colombians would give them a huge boost in terms of qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and also deal a big blow to Brazil.
Their best chance of victory will be to shut the Brazilian attack down and look to score on the break.
However, that is far easier said than done against a side of the Selecao's quality, with the recent Olympic gold-medal win having boosted the morale of the country's huge footballing contingent.
