Concerned but not worried ahead of Norway clash: Ancelotti

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti says he is going into Sunday's World Cup last-16 clash against Norway with confidence rather than anxiety, even as his side chases a first-ever win against the Scandinavians in four meetings between the two nations.

Brazil, five-time world champions, take on Norway at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey at 2:00am (Bangladesh time) on Monday (July 6), with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

A troubling statistic looms over the five-time champions heading into the tie: Brazil have never beaten Norway. Should that record hold once more, Brazil's World Cup campaign will end at the round of 16.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti was candid about his state of mind.

"Of course I'm concerned, but not worried. It's natural to think ahead about what might happen. But I have confidence. We are improving, and I hope we improve further tomorrow," he said.

The Italian coach expressed satisfaction with his team's tournament so far, pointing to steady progress since the opening match.

"I think the quality of our play in possession has improved a lot. In the first match we made a lot of mistakes with the ball. Now we are more precise in our use of it. There have been fewer misplaced passes and more successful attacks," Ancelotti said.
Brazil will be without Lucas Paqueta for the Norway match. Ancelotti said he has already decided on a replacement but declined to reveal the name.

"We don't have a player like Paqueta. Danilo is a different type, Martinelli is a winger. So there's still time to think. Although, as everyone says, I've already thought it through and found the solution. At a time like this, the most important thing is confidence," he said.

Asked about the possibility of an upset against a heavy favourite, Ancelotti pointed to Argentina's stumble against Cape Verde as an example.

"Who thought Argentina would struggle so much against Cape Verde? Nobody. That's modern football. It's not Argentina's failure — rather, credit should go to Cape Verde, their players and their coach. They played a great match," he said.