They might not be favourites to win the 2010 World Cup, although the Selecao are ranked number one in the world and should take some stopping in South Africa. Kaka appears to be returning to form at the right time, while Luis Fabiano and Robinho are possibly on a par with Torres and Villa when it comes to a dangerous strike pairing.

We can be fairly confident that Dunga’s team will keep a clean sheet in this match, especially as Julio Cesar is likely to return from injury for the match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. In front of him are club team-mates Lucio and Maicon, while Juan has been a consistent performer for Roma all term. Although there’s a slight question mark over the quality of Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo, they shouldn’t have too many problems containing a modest North Korean team.

Indeed, we should expect an unambitious approach from manager Jong-Hun Kim, who takes a great deal of pride from the clean sheets that are kept by his team. 12 of North Korea’s 14 qualifiers saw two goals or less and that’s why they might keep the game tighter than some people think.

PREDICTION: UNDER 3 GOALS with Ladbrokes @ 2.06