Argentina are back in action on Thursday with a trip to Asunción to face a difficult test against Paraguay with a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in form. Lionel Scaloni’s men can secure their return as defending champions with a victory just two years after their good fortune in Qatar. Messi beat Bolivia, closing the year with a hat trick and two assists in a rout. The Albiceleste cannot have the money to remain vacant as it seeks to complete the zenith of the CONMEBOL category that it has not achieved in the last two qualifiers. However, Argentinians rarely lose problems, and Colombia and Venezuela at the end of the year are usually the exceptions.
It is difficult to divide the Paraguayans today, with Albirroja the closest population to keep Argentina at bay on the road again in 2021. There may be enough needle in this match, but rarely free-flowing football with only seven goals of the last seven games and without goals in the last two. Succeeding at home and being tough to beat away is often the right combination to compete for World Cup qualification and the Paraguayans are on track to do just that after overwhelming teams like Brazil and drawing with Uruguay. Alfaro saw his team beat Venezuela to the closest draw with Ecuador, helping to keep them above Bolivia in the playoff spot and the 2-1 win over Vinotinto was the first year in this edition that some of Albirroja’s matches produced multiple goals. .
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The best way to control the odds
- Time: Thursday, November 14 | Week: 6:30 pm Eastern Time
- Location: Defensores del Chaco Stadium – Asunción, Paraguay
- Flow: fanatic
- Odd: Paraguay +450; Draw +250; Argentina -150
CONMEBOL Qualifiers
Argentina achieved the best way in the classification after a 6-0 win over Bolivia, which means that the Albiceleste is about to arrive. Three sunny things from Colombia and already in the 20s promise a generation gap between the top six, meaning the defending champions are interested in sealing their return to the World Cup. Scaloni’s men are strong on the road with 10 points from five away games, which is better than any other town in this version. Paraguay is recently in a qualifying place and may want to stay there and it is very difficult to divide it. Alfaro could take them to their first World Cup since 2010 based entirely on the back of their ruthless defense, which has earned eight points in its last four games.
Group information
Paraguay: Alfaro is Argentine and many of his players play club soccer in Argentina, and his team has been virtually unchanged since October. Antonio Sanabria is once again in the spotlight, Torino is the closest to scoring twice against Venezuela, but Miguel Almirón, Julio Enciso and Ramón Sosa are struggling to get the minutes they want to take advantage of.
Paraguay Imaginable XI: R Fernandez; Cáceres, G Gómez, Alderete, Balbuena, Alonso; Cubas, D Gómez; Almirón, Sanabria, Enciso.
Argentina: Enzo Fernández plays less for Chelsea, so the generation may no longer start. Giovani Lo Celso is once again the closest surprise and could come in instead of Lautaro Martínez. Emiliano Martínez returns from the postponement despite this and replaces Gerónimo Rulli in goal.
Argentina Imaginable XI: E Martínez; Molina, Otamendi, Romero, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo, Lo Celso, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
Prediction
This has the ingredients for a memorable and rare victory for the house, apart from its guests, who are already destined for the World Cup. A draw would no longer be a surprise, but it seems that the right combination could see La Albirroja achieve a victory. Select: Paraguay 1, Argentina 0.
