Brazil vs Nigeria 13/10/19

13 October 2019

Brazil and Nigeria go head-to-head for a friendly meeting this weekend at the National Stadium in Singapore. This is the second time that these two sides face each other in the 21st century, with Brazil beating Nigeria 3-0 back in 2003.

Brazil have extended their winless run since winning the 2019 Copa America to three games with a 1-1 draw with Senegal at midweek (D2, L1). Also, after keeping a clean sheet in seven consecutive games, Tite’s men have now conceded at least one goal in their last four outings, with four of five goals they’ve allowed across those matches coming in the first half. A disappointing 1-0 loss to Peru during last month’s international break was Brazil’s first and only defeat since exiting the 2018 FIFA World Cup (W13, D5, L1). In the same sequence, the Seleção have drawn a blank on just three occasions, keeping a clean sheet 13 times in the process.

The Nigerians were held to a 2-2 draw by Ukraine in September, which was their only senior fixture since wrapping up third place in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. It was the fourth of Nigeria’s last five matches that has produced over 2.5 goals and witnessed both teams score (W3, D1, L1). The Super Eagles have enjoyed a decent calendar year so far, pulling off seven wins in 12 senior games since the turn of 2019 (W7, D2, L3). But, their results tend to be hard-fought, with eight of those nine results (wins/losses) coming by a narrow one-goal margin. Nigeria’s desire to control the pace of the game from the start has seen them break the deadlock in four of their last five matches, failing to capitalize on the advantage only once (W3, D1).