There are many players in this match who usually end up on the wrong side of the referee. We have decided to play it safe in this case, without thinking too much or making anything up.
Every now and then, it’s okay to try to pick those players who, according to the data and statistics, are the ones who have always been booked in almost every game throughout the year or who have an average of almost two fouls per match. There are players who do this for a living, basically: they succeed or try in every way to recover balls and then commit naive fouls. And we obviously hope that in a Club World Cup round of 16, in a do-or-die match, all of this can happen. So, let’s see who our four men are.
Flamengo-Bayern Munich predictions: our picks
Obviously, the first name that comes to mind is Gerson, who will have the task of helping Alex Sandro defend against Olise’s attacks when his team is not in possession. He will be forced to play a double role, and we have seen that he is not the best in defense. So our choice falls, without a doubt, on him.
We also believe in Pulgar, a central midfielder with a past in Italy, who in the match against Chelsea gave us the satisfaction of being booked just a few minutes from the end. In the middle of the pitch, he always looks to get involved, even when he is late. His odds are not very high, but he is worth taking a chance on.
We also think Pavlovic is one to watch, who will play in midfield alongside Kimmich. The midfielder is the one who has to provide cover, and even though he hasn’t started all 21 games this season, he’s picked up four yellow cards. That’s a lot. Finally, we close with Laimer, a right-back who will have to deal with Gerson. He is a player who, when he enters the field, does so with one goal in mind: not to let his opponents pass. There was a moment in his season when he received three yellow cards in a row. He is our sure choice.