World Cup 2018: 3 things Brazil need to do to win it all 

#2 Protect the left flank

Marcelo and Neymar.

Since Neymar is the team's most influential forward, he will be given full freedom from defensive duties. So, the defensive duties of the left flank will be entirely upon Marcelo, who is not known for his defensive discipline.

Although, Marcelo is currently the best left-back in the world mainly from an attacking point of view, he often lefts huge acres of space for opposition to exploit. Moreover, Brazil's head coach Tite is not expected to restrain World's most attacking full-back. Marcelo has shown considerable attacking threat during his time with Real Madrid and it will be a big mistake to curb his attacking instincts.

So, from a defensive point of view, Brazil's left flank is the most likely area for opponents to breach and it is of utmost importance to provide cover for Marcelo. That will require Miranda and Casemiro to be at their absolute best in order to provide defensive stability to the side.