Copa America Group C: Neymar ban leaves Brazil progress in balance

Neymar’s post-match sending off last time out could cost the country he captains, Brazil, dearly. Over the course of a twisting and turning Copa America Group C, Coral have lengthened the Samba Boys’ odds of winning the competition from 3/1 to now 4/1, behind both hosts Chile as well as tournament favourites Argentina.

Brazil boss Dunga will be under real pressure. This pool looked plain sailing for his Samba stars (odds-on 4/11 favourites to finish in the top two) and fellow World Cup competitors Colombia (4/9), but South America’s fringe nations Peru (6/1 outsiders) and next opponents Venezuela (4/6) have rolled with the punches.

It means all four nations are on three points apiece going into the final group games. When Neymar was last missing from a competitive international, things swiftly went south for Brazil, who were battered 7-1 by Germany in last summer’s World Cup semi-finals.

The Barcelona attacker has scored a third (9) of the Samba Boys’ 27 tournament goals over the last two years (from 2013 Confederations Cup onwards). He will not feature again at this Copa America, however, after being slapped with a four-match ban for his part in an aftermath brawl to the 1-0 defeat by Colombia.

Without their inspirational, talismanic leader, punters may rightly feel an odds-on 1/2 price for the Samba Boys to beat Venezuela is a little short. Neymar notwithstanding, there’s no getting away from the fact Brazil have lost just once to this nation.

A 13/2 price for Venezuela to spring a huge shock is also fanciful but, given how this seemingly straightforward pool has panned out instead to be perilous, a draw at 11/4 cannot be ruled out.

The last two meetings have been 0-0 and, unless someone steps up to take over the Samba Boys scoring burden from Neymar, a repeat result is well worth considering at a superb 17/2.