Brazil, Serbia, and Switzerland clash once again in Group G. It’s obvious that Brazil should advance but Serbia and Switzerland learned from their last encounter with the Seleçãos. The Swiss is aiming for their third straight Round of 16 appearance and their experienced squad should lead them there. Serbia could make a case for a spot in the knockout stage. They should be familiar with Switzerland and Brazil but scoring consistency is a must. Costa Rica was a victim in this three-way battle in the last World Cup, but now Cameroon will be in the fray and need plenty of firepower to compete with those three.

BRAZIL (1)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (22ND APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (QUARTERFINALS IN 2018)

Brazil cleaned house after they were ousted in the semifinals and third place game in 2014. Then, the 2018 squad showed potential despite a quarterfinals loss to Belgium. Now, this year’s Brazil squad could make a deep run in the knockout stage, led by none other than Neymar along with Thiago Silva and Allison. Also, the do-it-all player Dani Alves returns to the lineup after not participating in the 2018 World Cup. The young players performed well and should provide some assistance, especially the forward position. This is a hard out squad that should compete for the final four spot.

SERBIA (21)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (13TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 2018)

Serbia makes their second straight appearance led by Dušan Tadić. They clash with Switzerland and Brazil for the second straight group encounter. The familiarity with their previous opponents from 2018 (except Cameroon) should help their chances of at least drawing or upsetting one of the teams. The only issue is scoring. They scored six points in their last three World Cup appearances. When they reached the Round of 16 in 1998, they scored five points throughout group stage, including the tournament. If they learned from 2018, understands their opponents, and improves on scoring, they could steal a spot to the Round of 16.

SWITZERLAND (15)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (12TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (ROUND OF 16 IN 2018)

The Swiss makes their fifth straight appearance led by Xherdan Shaqiri. They’ve been to two straight knockout stages for the first time in team history and look for their third with a veteran group. They’re also familiar with Brazil and Serbia from their last encounter. They could make an upset bid against Brazil with their quality scoring, but they can’t overlook Serbia that’s also looking for an upset bid.

CAMEROON (43)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (8TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2014)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 2014)

Cameroon returns to the World Cup after their 8-year hiatus, but they’ll probably be around for about a week or so. They haven’t advanced past the group stage in 22 years and have scored on average two goals per World Cup in their last five appearance. Just like Costa Rica in 2018, Cameroon is caught in the crossfire of Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia. If they can’t score more than three points in a group stage, there’s no way they will win or draw against a group stage opponent (0-6 in the last two World Cup appearances).

MATCHUPS:

GROUP MATCH 13: SWITZERLAND VS. CAMEROON (NOVEMBER 24TH)

GROUP MATCH 16: BRAZIL VS. SERBIA (NOVEMBER 24TH)

GROUP MATCH 29: CAMEROON VS. SERBIA (NOVEMBER 28TH)

GROUP MATCH 31: BRAZIL VS. SWITZERLAND (NOVEMBER 28TH)

GROUP MATCH 47: SERBIA VS. SWITZERLAND (DECEMBER 2ND)

GROUP MATCH 48: CAMEROON VS. BRAZIL (DECEMBER 2ND)

WHO SURVIVES THE GROUP:

BRAZIL

There’s a 50-50 chance they sweep the group with three wins. They’re that good and that talented across the board to make a deep run in the knockout stage. A lot will be put on Neymar to take the team far, but he won’t be alone this time.

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss likely gets out of the group based on experience and scoring ability. If their possession improved from their last World Cup appearance, they should outplay Serbia and challenge Brazil for the top spot.

RESULTS

BRAZIL 7 POINTS

SWITZERLAND 5 POINTS

SERBIA 4 POINTS

CAMEROON 0 POINTS