‘ROUND OF 16 MATCH BIGGER THAN RONALDO V SUAREZ CONTEST’
: Portugal defender Bruno Alves said Saturday’s World Cup last-16 clash with Uruguay will be more than simply a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. The European champions will face Uruguay in Sochi for a place in the quarter-finals after finishing as runners-up behind Spain in Group B. Uruguay won all three of their group matches, beating hosts Russia 3-0 in their last outing, and are the only team yet to concede a goal in the tournament. Real Madrid forward Ronaldo has scored four of Portugal’s five goals so far, while Barcelona star Suarez netted against Saudi Arabia and Russia. “I don’t think it will be a duel between Suarez and Ronaldo,” Alves said on Thursday. “It’s a match between the two teams.”
There was an air of buoyancy as Brazil coach Tite addressed his post-match press conference after his team defeated Serbia 2-0 to reach the last-16 of the World Cup, at the Otkritie Arena . “I am at peace. I will allow myself a drink of caipirinha (a popular Brazilian coacktail) today,” he told reporters, minutes after the win.
A few hours earlier, bookmakers had installed Brazil as firm favourites for the title after Germany’s shocking exit from the tournament.
On the pitch, Brazil responded with a performance that displayed maturity that has been missing from some of the top guns in the tournament. Mladen Krstajic’s Serbian side had a well laid out plan and were set up in a way that the Brazilian attack found
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