Friday 04/07/2014, 18:00, World Cup Quarterfinals, Brazil vs Colombia

Brazil vs Colombia Betting Preview

Brazil had a hard time qualifying to the World Cup quarterfinals, where they will be playing against one of the hottest teams from the group stage.

Columbia is one of the three squads that won all games in the first phase of the competition and they doubled down with a convincing victory over Uruguay. Their offensive is on fire and if Rodriguez can play at the same level against the hosts, Brazil will also need to elevate its game to stand a chance.

Brazil vs Colombia Betting Odds

At Bet365

Brazil 1.85, Draw 3.80, Colombia 4.45

Brazil vs Colombia Betting Tips

When Brazil finished the match against Mexico undecided, there were many who claimed that the host nation was not motivated enough to push for victory. The lopsided win over Cameroon suggested that they were clearly on the mend, only to be contradicted by another scoreless draw.

Chile could've ended their dreams of playing another World Cup final in the last minute of overtime, but eventually they went down at penalty shoot-out. This is the kind of tense outcome that Brazil will try to avoid on Friday evening, but in order to get past Colombia, they need to shift to a more aggressive football. Waiting for your opponents to commit a mistake won't work against the South Americans and if Scolari doesn't change something in his starting formation, the strategy could backfire.

So far Colombia enjoyed a smooth run and won all the games in regulation time, but this is by far the most difficult opponent they faced. Uruguay were without their best striker and looked toothless, which allowed their opponents to take the initiative early on and push forward throughout the match.

Colombia's weak spot is its defense, but so far opponents didn't put the backline to the test, instead tried to annihilate the midfield. Neymar and Fred can put an end to their successful run, but the two strikers will need more support from midfielders, while Hulk could join them upfront from the first minute.

Key Facts

• The two teams met 12 times and Brazil won on seven occasions, while Colombia is still searching for its first victory
• The last four games ended all undecided and four of them were scoreless draws

Brazil vs Colombia Betting Odds Prediction

Brazil survived a major scare in the previous round and they can't afford another one in the quarterfinals. In order to prevent another tight finish, the hosts will field 3 strikers and try to take the lead before half time. By exercising constant pressure over the Columbian backline, they should be able to take advantage of the defenses' frailty and make it to the semifinals where they are very likely to play against Germany.

Bet: Brazil @ 1.85 with Bet365