Carlo Ancelotti put Gabriel Martinelli in Brazil vs Norway from the start on Sunday, moving him into Lucas Paquetá’s spot for the World Cup round of 16. The change came about three hours before kickoff at 17h in New York/New Jersey, and it shifted Brazil’s attack without altering the rest of the XI.
Martinelli earns the start
Ancelotti backed the move with a simple line: “Merece porque fez gol contra o Japão”. He expanded on that choice by saying Martinelli was motivated, physically well and capable of helping in the role.
The forward’s reward came after he scored the goal that secured Brazil’s qualification over Japan last Monday. That goal kept his name in the selection race while Brazil looked for a direct replacement for Paquetá in the same matchday window.
Danilo Santos tested first
Danilo Santos had been tested in the spot on Thursday, but Ancelotti settled on Martinelli after that trial. Martinelli then appeared among the starters in most of Friday and Saturday’s training sessions, making the final decision look more settled by the time the lineup was released.
That choice also fit a specific role. Ancelotti said Martinelli would play centrally toward the left and rotate positions with Vini, the same pattern the two had already used against Paraguai in the qualifiers. He also said they were “bem” in that setup.
Brazil keeps the same shape
The rest of Brazil’s team stayed the same as the one that started against Japan: Alisson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos; Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães; Rayan, Matheus Cunha, Gabriel Martinelli and Vini. That leaves Brazil with one change in the front line and the same base behind it.
Paquetá’s absence was tied to a left-thigh injury. He was not cut from the squad, but the lineup decision pointed toward a long wait for his return in the Copa do Mundo, while Raphinha continued working back from a right-thigh injury suffered against Haiti and trained on Saturday after also warming up with teammates on Friday.
