Brazil v Spain betting tips: Gold standard set by Alves

Spain were also made to fight, with Marco Asensio (above) curling home the winner with five minutes of extra-time remaining, to end Japan’s hopes of Olympic gold.

La Roja’s 1-0 win means they have another chance to bag a second gold medal.

Champions on home soil in 1992 and silver medallists at Sydney 2000, Luis de la Fuente’s men are 19/10 to win the final in 90 minutes and are 10/11 to win gold.

Brazil v Spain head-to-head

Brazil and Spain have each earned a win against each other at previous Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972.

The senior sides have met nine times since 1934, with Brazil winning five and Spain winning twice. There have been two stalemates, and a draw in the final is a 2/1 chance in Brazil v Spain betting tips.

The last six times the senior sides have met resulted in one or other team drawing a blank. It is 4/6 that one or other team fails to score in 90 minutes on Saturday.

Brazil v Spain team news

A gold medal in Japan could go some way to healing Brazil’s misery after the defeat to arch-rivals Argentina in last month’s Copa America final and senior players like Alves, Diego Carlos and Santos may want it more than most.

However, there are World Cup places up for grabs and it is unlikely that Jardine will make any changes to the 4-2-3-1 system, with Everton’s Richarlison, who has five goals at the tournament, spearheading the attack. Brazil are Evens to score the first goal.

Likewise, Spain have no significant injuries and are likely to name an unchanged starting XI, with senior players Pedri and Merino anchoring the midfield.

Spain are 6/1 to win but concede in 90 minutes.

Brazil v Spain key battles

Brazil have conceded just three goals in five games, which is testament to Alves’s on-field organisation.

The evergreen defender has tasted multiple league, cup and Champions League success with Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Football’s most decorated player, with an incredible 42 trophies, will need all his experience to overcome a Spanish side chock-full of attacking talent.

This could be a tight contest and the battle for midfield supremacy will be crucial. Spain will do well to shackle Richarlison for the entire 90 minutes, isolated though he may be at times, and he could be the key man to bringing home the gold.

He can be backed at 12/5 to score at any time in Brazil v Spain betting tips and is 5/1 to score the first goal.

View the latest Olympics men’s football odds

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication