It is Bruno Guimaraes and Brazil against Fabian Schar and Switzerland today at the World Cup.
The Newcastle United teammates are set to go head-to-head, as both sides look to build on their wins in their respective opening games. Brazil started with a 2-0 win over Serbia, while Switzerland beat Cameroon 1-0.
Now the two favourites in Group G are set to clash, facing off at 4pm on ITV for viewers in the United Kingdom.
It will be the first time at this World Cup that two Newcastle players will face off against each other. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Bruno or Schar will actually feature.
In the buildup to the tournament, the Swiss centre-back insisted he would ‘smash‘ Bruno in Qatar. But that might not happen, as they might not even get on the pitch.
Neither Bruno nor Schar featured in their side’s opening game. That came as a shock to Toon fans – especially given how well Bruno has been playing.
Neymar’s injury might hand the Newcastle superstar a chance, and Bruno has received words of encouragement from one of the men who pay his wages.
Ghodoussi’s message to Bruno
Ahead of this afternoon’s game, Bruno has posted a picture on his official Twitter account of him in training with his Brazilian teammates.
The tweet received a response from Newcastle co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi. He wrote: “Good luck Bruno!!!”
Luck might need to be on Bruno’s side if he is to make his first ever appearance at a World Cup. He was still delighted to be on the bench against Serbia, having never actually been to a major tournament with his country before now.
While Bruno seems happy just to be part of the squad, he will surely be desperate to get some minutes and show the world what he is capable of. The Premier League certainly know all about him, as the 25-year-old has been one of the league’s best players over the past year.
As for Schar, his form for Newcastle surely should be earning him international recognition right now. But the Switzerland boss instead opted for Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi as his two centre-backs against Cameroon.
They kept a clean sheet, meaning they will likely retain their places in the side. Therefore, the only way Schar might feature is if Switzerland decide to shift to a back five against the World Cup favourites.
Ghodoussi has wished Bruno luck, but it is Schar and Switzerland who might need it most.
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