With one final opportunity to gear up for major summer tournaments, Spain and Brazil clash at the Bernabeu in Madrid for an emotional international friendly on Tuesday.
It's the perfect venue for a meeting between these two sides, as Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr and Dani Carvajal will line up against each other at their club's home stadium for a marquee matchup between two Los Blancos legends.
In fact, there's a bit of needle to the meeting between those two players, as Carvajal has felt the need to join the army of Spanish players and clubs in denial about the racist abuse that Vinicius has faced. It's a shocking heel turn from one of Vinicius's longtime teammates, generating an unnecessary sidebar to this "friendly" match between global football powers.
"I don't believe that Spain is a racist country...there has never been a problem," Carvajal said, just hours before Vinicius Jr was brought to tears during his pre-match press conference when asked about the racist abuse he has faced in the country.
From a competitive standpoint, this match didn't need any extra propping up, as it marks the first meeting between these two nations in over a decade, not matching up since Brazil smashed Spain 3-0 in the penultimate Confederations Cup on a pair from Fluminense legend Fred.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Spain vs Brazil and bet international friendly matches
Spain vs Brazil prediction, odds Moneyline lean: Brazil (+170) Score prediction: Spain 0-2 BrazilFollowing surprising results from both sides last time out, the betting market has absolutely no idea what to do with this match.
Spain fell to Colombia 1-0 in their friendly on Saturday, deploying a largely experimental side with a number of second-choice players that couldn't handle the moment. Brazil, meanwhile, saw their own second-choice squad shock England at Wembley by the same score, with wonderkid Endrick scoring the winner 10 minutes from full-time.
The Selecao, who have been mired in a brutal slump, looked impressive in that match, even with a significant number of first-team players out of the squad entirely. Endrick picked out the winner, but on the whole, Brazil were far better than England.
BetMGM(USA) Spain win +175 Draw +225 Brazil win +210 Both teams
to score Y/N -135 / -110 Over / Under
2.5 goals -110 / -130 Spain
-0.5 goals +120 Brazil
+0.5 goals -165 Spain vs Brazil match facts Date: Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2024 Kickoff time: 9:30 p.m. local (4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT) Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain) Last meeting: Brazil 3-0 Spain (Jun. 30, 2013 | Confederations Cup) Spain vs Brazil best bet Pick: Both teams to score — NO Odds: -110 (BetMGM)
These two sides have prioritised solidity at the back in recent months, especially after adverse results in major international tournaments proved a larger focus on defensive acumen has been required.
Spain were nearly bounced from the World Cup group stage after conceding twice to Japan, and were beaten 2-0 by Scotland in Euro qualifying a few months later. Since then, they have conceded five total goals in nine matches, without conceding more than once in any individual game.
Brazil, meanwhile, coughed up a pair to both Uruguay and Colombia in their recent World Cup qualifying defeats, but have come back to concede just one against World Cup champions Argentina before the clean sheet against England on the weekend under new management.
Expect goals to be at a premium here, and whoever fails to find the net will have plenty of questions to answer ahead of the summer.
Spain vs Brazil prop bet Pick: Vinicius Jr anytime goal scorer Odds: +290 (BetMGM)Whenever someone pokes Vinicius Jr, he seems to respond in a big way. Most recently, he bagged a massive brace to help Real Madrid come from behind against Valencia in a road match with a ton of pre-match needle. Dani Carvajal has served as the catalyst this time, and Vinicius will feel the need to defend his club's home stadium.
Dorival Junior's fluid tactics seem to suit his Real Madrid star, appearing to be similar to Carlo Ancelotti's but with a bit more of a possessional flavor suited to international football. Vinicius Jr managed to get two shots off against a very defensive-minded England, and should be up for it here at a familiar venue in an emotionally charged matchup.
Spain vs Brazil live stream, TV channel TV channel Streaming USA — Fubo Sports 2, ViX Canada — DAZN UK — Viaplay UKIn the United States, this marquee international friendly will be available to stream in English exclusively on Fubo Sports 2, who are offering a FREE trial for new users. A Spanish-language broadcast can also be found on ViX.
In Canada, the match can be streamed on DAZN, while in England it can be found on the streaming platforms of Viaplay UK.
