Five-time champions Brazil take on sixth-ranked Switzerland in a Group E tie of Fifa World Cup 2018 at the Rostov Arena on Sunday, June 17.
When does Brazil vs Switzerland start and how to watch it live
The Group E match between Brazil and Switzerland will start at 9 pm local time, 11:30 pm IST and 7 pm BST.
Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Sony Liv.
Brazil vs Switzerland: What to expect from Group F opener
The Selecao, considered one of the tournament favourites, will be hoping for a strong start to the tournament. After impressing heavily under Tite in the qualification campaign, Brazil have had brilliant run in the World Cup-friendlies.
Wins against Germany and Croatia and the return of their talismanic striker Neymar, who recovered in time after undergoing a foot surgery in March, come as big boost for the South American giants.
Brazil, it seems, have managed to successfully put behind the scars of their humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-final of the 2014 edition. Ahead of their opener in Rostov-on-Don, captain Marcelo insisted the team has shaken off the memories of the defeat and are looking forward to a fresh start in Russia.
"Man, these are things that happen in football. If there was a trauma, I would have retired from football. But there is no trauma," the Real Madrid left-back said.
"I have goals and I focus on them, I have new challenges all the time, and this year's World Cup is one of them, like also not getting hurt or making the transition from club football to international football."
Tite expects stiff test against Switzerland
Meanwhile, coach Tite said the Selecao are wary of Switzerland, who are heading into the tournament after losing only one of their last 22 matches. Known for their defensive discipline, Vladimir Petkovic's men will be hoping to frustrate Neymar & Co.
"They are a team that defends with two lines. They have speed in attack. Out of all the teams we are facing, they are the strongest in depth," Tite said on the eve of their World Cup opener.
"We know they'll give us some difficult moments, games at the highest level demand so much of you and force you to raise your performance."
Switzerland, despite concerns over striker Haris Seferovic's form, have a line-up capable of going deeper in the tournament. A good start will only help them for their upcoming matches (against Costa Rica and Serbia) as anything less than a Round of 16 appearance will be a big disappointment for them.
Switzerland vs Brazil - Group E team news
Fifa World Cup 2018 - Global live stream and TV listings
- UK: TV - BBC; Live stream: BBC IPlayer
- Australia: TV: SBS; Live stream: SBS, Optus Sport
- USA: Fox and Telemundo.
- Russia: VGTRK.
- Middle East: Bein Sports.
