The five-time winners have a great record at the back under Tite and they look a far tougher prospect than in 2014 as a result
Five goals down by half-time. A 7-1 loss over 90 minutes. The devastating denouement to Brazil’s last World Cup campaign will not be forgotten in a hurry, not least because the Selecao’s dream of a triumph on home turf remains unfulfilled.
But it would appear from their 2018 tilt so far that lessons have been learned from that humiliation against Germany, and from their generally slapdash approach to defending throughout their 2014 hosting.