On Wednesday, 10th September, the Bolivia national team will play against Brazil at home. There is a sporting intrigue in this match. If Bolivia wins and Venezuela fails to cope with Colombia in a parallel game, then the hosts will earn a spot in the play-offs.

Brazil has already qualified for the World Cup. This happened back during the last international break. Now Carlo Ancelotti is building a squad with an eye on the World Cup in the USA. The coach has made many interesting changes. Ancelotti has made it clear that he intends to keep Casemiro in the team and has also significantly broadened his horizons by calling up Zenit defender Douglas Santos. The holder of a Russian passport made a splendid debut – he organised the winning goal and was recognised as one of the best on the field.

It is clear that Ancelotti will continue his experiments in Bolivia. A relatively reserve squad can be expected. After all, Ancelotti will surely want to conserve his leaders at high altitude. This is a chance for the youth and those who have not yet secured a place in the World Cup squad. Brazil may see Luis Henrique, Richarlison, or Samuel Lino start from the first minute. It is also possible that goalkeeper Alisson will rest in this match.

Bolivia is playing what is effectively one of the most important matches in its history. The national team has not qualified for the World Cup since 1994. Such an opportunity has not even come close in the 21st century. Bolivia has a relatively bright generation, and a true star has emerged – Miguel Terceros. The Santos player scored six goals in the qualifiers, placing second in the goalscoring race.

Bolivians traditionally trouble their opponents at home in high-altitude conditions – the main hope rests on that and Brazil's lack of motivation. However, Bolivia's squad remains very weak overall. Many play in the local league, and apart from Terceros, there are no individually strong players in attack. Everything revolves around the 21-year-old leader.

In the first round, the Bolivians were predictably thrashed in Brazil – 1:5. In head-to-head matches, the situation is even worse: the aggregate score of four games is 1:17. In 2017, they played to a draw in Bolivia. However, in 2022, the trip to high altitude was not a problem for the favourites – Brazil won 4:0. By the way, the odds were 1.50 then. It is strange that now bets on the guests can be placed at 2.20. It seems that this line should be taken advantage of. Brazil under Ancelotti is unlikely to approach the game in economic mode. The difference in class is very significant. Another important point is that Bolivia will not settle for a draw. So the hosts will be forced to take risks, which further supports the stars.