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Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli believes Australia will try to play, rather than kick, his side off the pitch tonight.
The South Americans showed how potent they can be in beating England at Wembley last November when the classy Alexis Sanchez scored both goals in a 2-0 win.
Ange Postecoglou has changed Australia’s style since becoming their coach last October and that means Sampaoli does not expect the game to descend into a bruising battle.
“It seems to me Postecoglou has wanted to play in another way, which means a great evolution for Australian football,” said Sampaoli.
“More than physical, I imagine a footballing duel. Australia will try to rob us of the ball and go out quickly [from defence to attack].
“Our mobility will be important, we’ve worked in different ways to be able to neutralise any plan from our opponents.
“Australia come here without pressure. It could get difficult for us if we don’t have a good night.”
Sampaoli did not say whether Arturo Vidal (right) would feature in the Group B match in Cuiaba, just 36 days after a knee operation. The Juventus midfielder made a surprise return as a 75th-minute substitute against Northern Ireland last week.
“The clinical and treatment stages are past and he is ready for normal training but in the footballing stage he may not yet have the rhythm of the rest of the players,” said Sampaoli said. “It’s a shared decision among us all but only the player will know what his knee can withstand.”
