Uruguay have been one of the most impressive teams in this year’s Copa America and they will be aiming to maintain their excellent form when they take on a somewhat lackluster Brazil side.
The nine-time winners of the Copa America managed to win just one of their three group stage matches and might find it challenging without the suspended Vinicius Junior in Las Vegas.
Team news
Attacker Maximiliano Araujo sustained a head injury against the United States but is expected to recover in time to resume his position on the left side of Uruguay’s attack, with Darwin Nunez leading the forward line, supported by Nicolas de la Cruz and Facundo Pellistri.
Brazil will have to cope without their key player Vinicius Junior who received his second yellow card of the tournament, paving the way for Savinho to take his spot alongside Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha, and Endrick.
The stats
Uruguay have emerged victorious in all three of their matches in the current Copa America campaign.
When these two teams last clashed in October 2023, Brazil were defeated 2-0.
Brazil have managed just one win in their last four matches.
La Celeste have scored nine goals and conceded only one in the tournament so far.
Uruguay have secured victory in seven of their last 10 games.
Prediction
Uruguay triumphed in all three of their Copa America group games, and they should feel quietly confident as they head to Las Vegas to encounter a Brazil team that has failed to impress.
The Selecao only won one of their group stage matches and were lucky to secure a draw against Colombia in their recent outing, with the underdogs outperforming Brazil 13-7 in shots and creating 1.4 expected goals compared to Brazil’s 0.3.
Adding to Brazil's challenges, they will be missing their current star player Vinicius Junior in the match against Uruguay after the Real Madrid standout received his second booking of the tournament against Colombia.
The last time these two sides met, in October 2023, Uruguay emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. This victory is one of seven in La Celeste’s last 10 matches, including impressive triumphs against Argentina and Mexico.
Throughout this period, they have scored 22 goals while conceding just four, with standout performances from Darwin Nunez and Federico Valverde. If they can maintain their current form, Uruguay appear to be in a good position to defeat a Vinicius-less Brazil in Las Vegas.