England vs Brazil

Despite a late hiccup, Brazil and England will meet on Sunday to officially open the renovated Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. On Thursday the fixture had been suspended by a court for safety concerns, but with those fears seemingly allayed, two historic powerhouses of the world game will take to the field in a contest that will provide an indication of where they both stand a year before the World Cup.

As hosts there is tremendous pressure on Brazil and, with no competitive action in the run-up to next year’s tournament, every match against a leading nation is crucial for the Selecao’s preparation. There is plenty of concern too at how they are progressing. Luiz Felipe Scolari has as yet failed to show signs of producing the turnaround he manufactured when taking over before lifting the 2002 World Cup.

A defeat to England at Wembley in February was followed up by unconvincing draws against Italy and Russia with Scolari still trying to find his best lineup. Ahead of the Confederations Cup later this month, Scolari has left out veterans Kaka and Ronaldinho as he looks to the new generation of Neymar, Oscar and Lucas Moura to provide the creative spark.