ENGLAND are one of the favourites for Euro 2024 and they'll be looking to boost their confidence ahead of the finals by piling more pain on the boys from Brazil in this glamour Wembley friendly.
Having reached a World Cup semi-final and Euro showpiece under Gareth Southgate, many fans and pundits think this will finally be the year when the Three Lions lift a major trophy for the first time since 1966.
The likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden are genuine world-class talents and all three are heading into the summer off the back of brilliant seasons at club level.
The biggest criticism of Southgate, who has been linked with Manchester United in the last few days, is that he comes up short in the big tournaments when England face a crunch game against a genuine heavyweight.
So the manager will be looking to claim a big scalp in this friendly with South American giants Brazil, although the samba stars haven't been playing like Galacticos of late.
While the Brazilians wowed fans with some silky soccer at the last World Cup it was ultimately a failed campaign as they bowed out on penalties to Croatia in the last eight.
They've gone through two caretaker managers since boss Tite stood down, with Brazil winning just two of their first six qualifiers for the next World Cup. Now the CBF have turned to Dorival Junior to steady the ship after failing to lure Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
Dorival, who has only managed domestically in his 22-year coaching career, faces a tough task restoring morale but a win over England and Wembley would be the perfect way to get his reign up and running.
How the bookies view it
It's says everything about Brazil's recent troubles that Bet365 make them 3/1 outsiders for a Wembley win. England are 17/20 with McBookie while the draw pays 13/5 with the same firm.
Head to head
Brazil have dominated this fixture throughout history, with England winning just four of the 25 meetings. But things have been changing of late and the Three Lions have lost just once in their last five games against the Brazilians. You also have to go all the way back to 1995 for Brazil's last win on English soil, a 3-1 friendly victory at Wembley.
Players to watch
I'd imagine Southgate will field a strong side for this one and Bellingham will be looking to put on a show. The Real Madrid star is 3/1 with Bet365 for anytime scorer and the same firm price him at a tempting 6/4 to either score or provide an assist.
Brazil are without star man Neymar after he picked up a serious knee injury in the World Cup qualifying loss to Uruguay. But they still have plenty of talent in their ranks, most notably Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior. His prices are identical to club team-mate Bellingham with Bet 365, at 3/1 to score and 6/4 for either a goal or assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
Friendlies can often be a disappointment and Slips Tips was left disappointed when he went for goals in England's last home game, a dull 2-0 win over minnows Malta. But with so much firepower on display at Wembley we should see a few goals. Both teams to score is just 7/10 at Unibet but combining that with over 2.5 goals boosts the odds to 5/4 at Bet365.
With Casemiro out injured, Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz could start in midfield and he is 10/3 to go in the book at Wembley. Another English-based star who will be out to impress is West Ham's Lucas Paqueta and he's a tempting 9/4 with Bet365 to have a shot on target.
This International Friendly match between England and Brazil will be played on Mar 23, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best England vs Brazil prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
