Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti maintains he is not about to set up an “anti-Erling Haaland plan” when his side look to shackle the Manchester City forward and get past Norway to secure a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
After topping Group C, Ancelotti’s side came from behind to beat Japan in their last 32 tie with a stoppage-time goal from Gabriel Martinelli.
Brazil will face another stern test of their hopes to go on to deliver a sixth World Cup crown when they take on Norway at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, with the winners set to face either England or co-hosts Mexico.
Ancelotti, though, insists his players must focus on shutting down Norway’s well-drilled side as a whole and not just look at how Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes will be out to keep another close check on Haaland.
“I don’t think that there is such a thing as an ‘anti-Haaland’ plan,” Ancelotti said at a press conference. “I don’t need to tell my players how to defend; they have faced each other a few times.
“Our team is in an optimal condition. However, we need to continue improving.”
Ancelotti added: “Everyone knows how he (Haaland) works. I have nothing to explain to my defenders how to play against him.
“They have obviously played against him several times, so we are only focused on being well prepared for the match, understanding the basic characteristics of the opponent and we know that they are very dangerous offensively.
“Norway is a challenging team, a team that has structure, has very good organisation, so we have to play at our best level, but I think we are at a time when we can play at our best level, because we are confident and have come out of a challenging last match against Japan.”
Brazil will be without midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who suffered a hamstring problem against Japan, but Barcelona forward Raphinha could be back in contention following a thigh injury.
Norway coach Stale Solbakken also maintains Sunday’s match in East Rutherford will not just be about whether Haaland can get the better of Brazil’s formidable centre-back partnership of Gabriel and Paris St Germain defender Marquinhos.
“Brazil has one of the best pairs of defenders in this tournament, two players who are at a top-notch international level,” Solbakken said. “There will be some tough duels between them and Erling, but it is more Brazil versus Norway for me.”
Solbakken added: “Brazil are favourites, of course they are, but we are hopeful that we will give them a match – and we must be at our very, very best, otherwise we don’t have a chance.”
Solbakken expects Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson to be available after a thigh injury forced him off during their second Group I game against Senegal, while defender Holmgren Pedersen is being monitored after some “coughing and rasping”.
