Brazil coach Tite has made two changed from the side that drew against Senegal for the clash against Nigeria. Bayern Munich star Phillipe Coutinho and Juventus left-back are the two players to drop out from the side played a 1-1 draw against the Senegalese on Thursday.
The Copa America champions will also go with a two-man striking force upfront a stark contrast to the traditional 4-3-3 formation they are known for.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Tite revealed his reasons for dropping Coutinho and Alex Sandro, while also stating he’s going for a two-man up top because it will create a lot of space.
“We will play with two strikers, Neymar and Firmino, and two men on the side,” the former Corinthians boss told media. “It will open up a bigger area of action in the offensive phase. Neymar has been playing like that for PSG a lot.
“After leaving Barcelona, he has been used in a central position.” For me, football is balance,” he continued. “When a team is overly defensive or offensive, you suffer. “Balancing the team is our challenge. And this must be shown not just in theory, but on the field.” With Coutinho by our side, we lost aggression.”
On Sandro, Tite revealed the Juventus star is dropped due to fatigue. “He (Sandro) was coming off a long sequence with his club, travel, and also was not fully recovered. It is a very big opportunity for Renan.”