Venue: Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza Date: Friday, 4 July Kick-off: 21:00 BST Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live and ITV Likely team line ups: http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/837750/Preview This South American Derby promises to be a lively affair: [video=youtube;UupeC4zABCw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UupeC4zABCw&feature=player_embedded[/video] Colombia star James Rodriguez has stressed there is "no pressure" on Los Cafeteros as they prepare for the first World Cup quarter-final in their history. But for opponents Brazil, the host nation and tournament favourites,the weight of expectation is proving a heavy burden. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari asked sport psychologist Regina Brandao to speak to the squad on Tuesday to help them deal with the pressure. The hosts will need to be fully focussed against a Colombia side who have reached the last eight with a style and swagger largely missing from Brazil's play. Paulinho may replace banned midfielder Luis Gustavo, although coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is also considering switching to a 3-5-2 formation. Colombia coach Jose Pekerman has reported no injury concerns. Pekerman boldly fielded two strikers in the last 16 against Uruguay and must decide whether to drop Jackson Martinez in order to field an extra midfielder. Brazil v Colombia Head-to-Head ⢠Colombia have won just two of their 25 previous games against Brazil and have never defeated them on Brazilian soil. ⢠Their last victory against the Selecao was a 2-0 win in the group stage of the Copa America in 1991 (staged in Chile). ⢠It is 11 years since Brazil last beat Colombia. The four most recent meetings all ended in draws. Three of those games finished 0-0. ⢠The most recent encounter was a 1-1 draw in New York in November 2012. Brazil ⢠They have reached the quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive time. They have lost at this stage in the last two tournaments, with defeat by the Dutch in 2010 their last competitive loss. ⢠Their only defeat in the last 25 games came against Switzerland last August (W18, D6, L1). ⢠Brazil are unbeaten in 41 successive home matches, with their last defeat coming against Paraguay in August 2002. ⢠Their last competitive defeat at home was 3-1 to Peru in the 1975 Copa America semi-final. Colombia ⢠Los Cafeteros are unbeaten in their last 11 games (W7, D4) since losing 2-0 in Uruguay last September. ⢠If they avoid defeat in Fortaleza it will be their longest unbeaten run since a 27-game streak between 1992 and 1994. ⢠They have won more World Cup matches in Brazil (four) than in their previous 13 tournament games combined. ⢠James Rodriguez has scored in each of his last six appearances for Colombia. ⢠He has scored five World Cup goals and assisted two more in 310 minutes on the pitch - which equates to scoring or assisting a goal every 44 minutes. ⢠Ten of Colombia's last 13 World Cup goals have been scored in the second half of matches. ⢠Coach Jose Pekerman is unbeaten in nine World Cup matches (W7, D2). However, one of Pekerman's two draws was followed by a penalty shootout defeat by Germany in 2006 in his final match in charge of Argentina. BOOKIES ODDS Brazil 5/6, Draw 13/5, Colombia 7/2
I've got a sneaking feeling for Colombia here. Would love to see them go through but they've got to play the crowd as well though. Brazil will be under all the pressure and will be playing the occassion and expectation too. In fact it's anybody's competition at this stage, no stand out team for me, a well balanced last eight.
I've been pretty unimpressed by Brasil so far. Neymar is their star player and can drag them through but he's not 100% fit apparently. Poor defensively and Cesar is either brilliant or awful with no inbetween. Factor in huge home pressure and they could be in trouble here. Colombia on the other hand really play as a team and they are great to watch so I hope they do it. That lad Rodriguez is fantastic. I also like Yepes and Cuadrado (if that's the spelling). 2-1 Colombia.
Colombians will be lynched in the streets of Brazil if they win. I'll be betting on Colombians, but I'm certain Brazil will win due to a referee error, a penalty kick, diving or a Colombian being shown the red card...
Columbian players better be worried that the drug cartels arent betting on the games twenty years after Escubar being murdered for an own goal . Go Columbia ... hope Brazil lose by lots .
heart says Colombia, head says penos then who knows, however the referee will be under enormous pressure to do ??
My boy's gutted. He has Columbia to win in the punters club. That will teach the git, especially when he never posted by predictions and only realised after Germany scored.
Brazil are on fire to be fair to them and another goal will kill the game off if Columbia don't start playing like they have previously. They have the players but they don't have the ref so they must work harder...
