Group A: Brazil-Mexico, an unpredictable clash with a long history

Brazil are undisputed football giants playing the World Cup at home, while Mexico are a work in progress and a side who needed a play-off to qualify for the tournament.

However, things were hardly that different two years ago, when Mexico deprived Brazil from the only football title they still lack, the Olympic gold medal.

When Mexico beat Brazil 2-1 at London 2012, five of the men who played for the hosts against Croatia last week were on the losing side.

Brazil superstar striker Neymar, captain Thiago Silva and team-mates Marcelo, Oscar and Hulk all played that day and are unlikely to forget it.

The same goes for Mexico striker Oribe Peralta, who scored a brace in that final as well as Saturday's lone goal in his team's win against Cameroon. Hector Herrera and Carlos Salcido also saw action in both games, with a handful of other Mexican players sitting in both squads.

"That Olympic final was frustrating. It was very sad to lose against Mexico with the great group we had," Hulk admitted Sunday.

Some say that Mexico are Brazil's "black beast," the team that awakens their ghosts and makes them under perform, but last year's Confederations Cup, in which Brazil beat Mexico 2-0, suggests the five-time World Cup winners are the favourites in Tuesday's match.

Mexico, who had four coaches in 2013, came very close to not qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, but they eventually made the most of their chance in a play-off against New Zealand to get to Brazil.

Under coach Miguel Herrera, they appear to have settled down, and they insist that they are up to great things.

"These are players who have a winning mentality thanks to having won different titles, like the Olympic gold medal and the Under-17 world championship," Giovani dos Santos, who was on the bench in the London 2012 final, recently told dpa. 

"This is a special generation," Dos Santos stressed. "We will have to take this game by game, but if I am asked how far we want to go then I will tell you we want to be the champions."

Game by game, Brazil-Mexico is next up. Since 2001, the senior sides have clashed 12 times, with six wins for Mexico, four for Brazil and two draws.

Emotions are bound to be rife when the two meet on Tuesday in Fortaleza. They each won their World Cup openers, and a second win would virtually ensure their qualification for the round of 16.

A defeat is bound to be worse for the hosts than for Mexico, since it would awaken old ghosts and probably unsettle their fans. The North American side knows its really crucial group game is against Croatia, with Cameroon already beaten.

Speculation on the convenience of coming first or second in Group A is hard, since all bets are off in Group B after the Netherlands thrashed defending world champions Spain 5-1.

However, a match between Brazil and their long-time nemesis Mexico has a drive of its own, and whatever result it delivers can hardly be regarded as a surprise.