Cardiff, Jul 26: Favourites Brazil clash heads with underdogs Egypt in Group C of men's football at London Olympics to be played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

London Olympics 2012 Specials

Brazil has never won an Olympic gold medal in men's football. In the most prestigious sporting event in the world, Brazil finished with the Olympic silver in 1984 and 1988 and bronze in 1996 and 2008.

The Selecao beat Great Britain 2-0 in a pre-tournament friendly match while Egypt are yet to defeat the mighty Brazilians in a competitive fixture.

Egypt suffered from lack of football competitions after riots broke out during the match between Al-Ahly and Al-Masry killing 70 people. Due to this, the national team has only played a handful of matches behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, Brazil's preparation for the games has not been upto their standards. Apart from the recent win over Great Britain, Mano Menezes' team had lost 2-0 at home against Mexico while bitter rivals Argentina beat them 4-3.

Reserve Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto will replace Rafael Cabral, making his national team debut on Thursday. First-choice goalkeeper Rafael was ruled out of the competition with an injured elbow.

Coach Mano Menezes is likely to retain the same squad which eased past Great Britain, although it remains to be seen whether Leonardo Damiao will be the strike force with Alexandre Pato likely to get the nod. The Selecao are determined to grab their first Olympic gold medal and have come up with a full strength squad which could also help them build a team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup at home.

In terms of injury news, Egypt have no concerns over the players fitness but playing against the likes of Brazil will definitely test their skills to the limit. Emad Motaeb, Ahmed Fathi and the most experienced player comparing both teams, Mohamed Aboutrika make up for the three over-age players.

Brazil's three over-age players at the tournament are Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Hulk. Also with the likes of Lucas Moura, Oscar, Pato and a host of world class talent, Brazil are favourites to go through in Group C which include Belarus and New Zealand.

Probable Line-up:

Brazil: Neto-Rafael, Silva, Juan, Marcelo-Sandro, Romulo, Oscar-Hulk, Damiao, Neymar.

Egypt: El-Shenawy-Fathi, Hegazy, Gaber, Milo-Hassan, El-Din Ahmed, Aboutrika-Mohsen, Motaeb, Salah.

OneIndia News