One of the most eagerly-awaited games at the World Cup so far sees Iberian neighbours Portugal and Spain meet in Cape Town.
Two teams full of attacking flair and blessed with technically gifted players, the hope is that this match will produce plenty of entertainment and a glut of goals. Portugal's game with Brazil may not have lived up to expectations, but in truth Brazil are not the gung-ho side they once were while Portugal can nullify the opposition.The last time the sides met was at Euro 2004, when Portugal won 1-0 on home soil and Spain were sent tumbling out in the group stage. But that was Portugal's only win over Spain since 1981 across seven meetings, so Vicente del Bosque's side will go into the game as strong favourites.Spain could be without midfielder Xabi Alonso for the second round tie, and he will face a late fitness test. Javi Martinez came on to replace Alonso in the victory over Chile and Del Bosque would have to decide whether to start with Martinez or bring Francesc Fabregas into the first XI.Portugal made several changes for the match against Brazil, with Duda and Danny both being handed starts, but Liedson, Simao and Paulo Ferreira should all return to the starting team for this second-round clash. Deco is also fit again after injury.
Brazil boss Dunga endures a strained relationship with his country's media for being too defensive for their extravagant taste. But the 1994 World Cup-winning captain has constructed a team built on solid foundations that are tough to beat, have already won the Confederations Cup and the Copa America and are favourites to win the 2010 World Cup.
• Brazil: 'Keeper protection approvedThe five-time World Champions eased through the 'Group of Death', with victories over North Korea and Ivory Coast allowing Dunga to omit his key attacking trio, for one reason or another, for the 0-0 draw against Portugal as qualification was already assured. Robinho was rested, Elano missed the game with injury and Kaka was suspended following a controversial red card against Ivory Coast. All three are expected to start on Monday.It is a different story for Chile, however. La Roja's gung-ho approach to tackling means manager Marcelo Bielsa has a number of suspensions to deal with. Defenders Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce will be missing from the back four and holding midfielder Marco Estrada is also serving a ban. Their indiscipline could prove costly as, according to FIFA, which uses tracking technology to capture data on each player at the World Cup and then assesses it to see if it had a positive or negative impact on their team, Ponce and Medel were the two most effective players in the tournament during the first two matches.The Chileans qualified from Group H, behind European champions Spain, by playing a brand of attacking football that won many fans. Given the issues they have at the back, it seems like Bielsa will be forced to continue that attacking approach against a Brazilian side that has struggled to break down defensive teams in the recent past.On the plus side, Carlos Carmona returns after a one match ban to replace Estrada and Mathias Fernandez is back to provide some guile in midfield when on the attack.
Netherlands go into this second round clash full of confidence, having won all three of their matches at the World Cup so far, scoring four goals and conceding just one, and with star player Arjen Robben recovered from injury. The Bayern Munich forward feared his tournament was over before it had even begun when he picked up a hamstring injury but Robben played for 20 minutes as a substitute against Cameroon and came through unscathed.
• Van Marwijk wants more
Argentina and Mexico clash at Soccer City on Sunday in a repeat of their second-round tie of four years ago. That game in Leipzig was an end-to-end affair, with the sides only separated by Maxi Rodriguez's superb extra-time strike.
There are comparisons to be drawn between the two fixtures. In Germany, Argentina had strolled through their group to set up the second-round date with Mexico and were considered hot favourites to make the quarter-finals, but Mexico had different ideas and took the game to their South American rivals. Expect a similar approach this time around.Mexico may have been more impressive in South Africa than they were at the last World Cup, but Argentina, in reaching the knockout stages with a 100% record, remain the pundits' choice to make it through.However, Argentina have yet to come up against a team capable of getting in behind them to cause real problems. Even so, Diego Maradona's exciting side have still looked suspect at the back against the likes of South Korea and Nigeria. If Mexico can acquit themselves well against a dangerous opponent, it is far from certain that Argentina will be the team lining up against England or Germany.Maradona made several changes to his side against Greece, including resting hat-trick hero Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez, but they will return to his first-choice side against the Mexicans. Gabriel Heinze and Jonas Gutierrez should also be back in the fold, though the injured Walter Samuel will still be missing. Mexico's only change should be to recall the suspended Efrain Juarez in place of Hector Moreno.
