Carlo Ancelotti trialled Raphinha as a centre-forward and made seven changes to the Brazil starting lineup in Sunday's training session. The workout served as preparation for Tuesday's friendly against Australia in Brisbane, following a 1-1 draw in the first match.
The session featured significant rotation, with Cruzeiro's Otávio starting in goal. The defence consisted of Vanderson, Jair, Gabriel Magalhães and Mauro Júnior. In midfield, Gabriel Bontempo joined Danilo and Bruno Guimarães, who retained their places. Raphinha, who has 14 goals and three assists in eight games for Barcelona this season, played as the number nine, flanked by Rayan and Vinícius Júnior.
Ongoing evaluation
Ancelotti aims to assess players who saw limited action in the first meeting with the Australians. Andrey Santos, Breno Bidon and Martinelli got opportunities in midfield, while Samuel Lino, Endrick and Estêvão were tested in attack. Goalkeepers Hugo Souza of Corinthians and Morisco also took part in the session.
The Italian manager was clear about the purpose of these experiments. "It's not the taste of defeat because it was a draw, I think we could have won, we had chances," said Ancelotti. "It was a deserved draw in the end, we have to be patient because these are tests we have to do," he added.
The 4-3-3 formation used in training may be adjusted for the official match. The team will then travel to Kolkata for the final match of this FIFA window against India on October 3rd. Vinícius Júnior, the team's top scorer in this phase with four goals, will be a key figure in the attack.
More detail at Globo Esporte
