SAO PAULO: IT’S pretty straightforward for Brazil and Mexico.

Draw their final Group ‘A’ games against Cameroon and Croatia respectively on Monday and they’re through to the last 16 of the World Cup.

Niko Kovac’s Croatia, though, need to beat Mexico to go through to the knockout stages while Cameroon’s chances were over following their 4-0 hammering by the Croats last Thursday.

Brazil head into the final round of Group ‘A’ sitting top with four points following their 3-1 win over Croatia in the high-profile World Cup opener on June 12 and a goalless draw against Mexico last Wednesday.

Mexico trail Brazil on goal difference with the Brazil stalemate coming on the back of a 1-0 win over Cameroon in their opening game while Croatia are third with three points from two matches.

Brazil showed a lacklustre performance against Mexico for whom goalkeeper Guilhermo Ochoa was outstanding.

But even then, chances of them going out are very remote considering Cameroon’s woeful performances at the tournament highlighted by Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s head-butt on his own team-mate, Benjamin Moukandjo, during their match against Croatia.

One permutation which would see the hosts tumbling out at the first hurdle would be if Cameroon beat them by a big margin in Brasilia while Mexico and Croatia play out a draw in their match which kicks off at the same time in Recife.

That would see them being edged out on goal-difference.

Mexico can pip the Brazilians to a spot in the last 16 even if they were to lose to Croatia provided they lose by a slim margin and Cameroon record a big win against Brazil.

On Cameroon’s form, that seems impossible. But Brazil are still wary of the Africans.

“We will be facing a team that comes without any responsibility,” Brazil defender David Luiz said. “Their players will want to show that they can do better than they did in the first two matches. A victory against the hosts would be like a title to them.”

Former Brazil great Zico said the draw with Mexico exposed flaws in the Brazil team but Luiz believes the stern tests they have faced will only help them further on.

“If we hadn’t started this way, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see what is really required in a World Cup or what we are going to come up against later on,” he said.

“Sometimes you start off winning games 3-0 and then suddenly you lose in the next round and you go home, but this last game showed us what is required.”

Like Brazil, Mexico also have their destiny in their own hands.

But they are up against a Croatia side buoyed by the return of Bayern Munich hit-man Mario Mandzukic who scored a brace against Cameroon after missing their defeat to Brazil through suspension.

It is a must-win game for the Croatians if they are to advance and captain Darijo Srna said his team will have to treat Monday’s match as if it were the World Cup final.

“We have to treat it as important as the final,” he said. “We have shown against Cameroon we can play a great match. You’ve seen real Croatia after that defeat against Brazil.

“I would say chances are equal for both teams, but we’ll play like we did against Cameroon and we’re going there to win against Mexico.”

A draw would put Mexico through to the last 16 but Mexico coach Miguel Herrera is adamant his side will go for a win.

El Tri have played a very balanced attacking style game in the World Cup and Herrera wants his side to continue playing with the same style.

“If we tie, then great, we advance,” Herrera said at a press conference on Friday. “But the idea is to look for a win.

“The guys know that they can squander the great things that they’ve been doing in this World Cup if they don’t play to win on Monday. ... So we’re going to continue to be intense, be a team that’s giving its all, be more attentive, be sure with the ball.”

Published in Dawn, June 23rd , 2014