Paraguay and Peru clash in the opening round of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying at the Estadio Antonio Aranda on Thursday night.

Neither nation qualified for the Qatar World Cup despite both appearing at finals during the 2010s and will look for significant improvement ahead of 2026.

Match preview

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Since Guillermo Barros Schelotto signed on as manager in October 2021, he has rather flattered to deceive in the Paraguay hotseat.

After a 4-0 thrashing in Bolivia, Schelotto was appointed to replace Eduardo Berizzo, but in their final six World Cup qualifiers, Paraguay blanked in five of them and took just four points.

Following the conclusion of the qualifying section and their failure to reach the finals, Paraguay have played nine friendlies with very varied results.

One-nil wins over the United Arab Emirates and Mexico have been the only high points, as they were also thrashed 4-1 by Japan, as well as falling to defeat to Chile, Colombia and upcoming opponents Peru.

Paraguay's two September internationals offer them a great opportunity to get off to a good start though, facing Peru at home first before travelling to Venezuela, the current weakest side in South America.

Four points will be the target if they are to get themselves on the right path early after a very disappointing 2022 qualifying campaign, which saw them take just 16 points and score 12 goals in 18 matches, finishing third bottom.

The golden era between 1998 and 2010 where Paraguay reached four successive World Cups is unlikely to come back anytime soon.

Three progressions from the group stage and a quarter-final appearance in South Africa with the likes of Oscar Cardozo, Lucas Barrios and Roque Santa Cruz in the side is a distant memory, with the nation now lingering near the bottom of qualifying sections with regularity.

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For Peru, they were agonisingly close to reaching the finals in Qatar, and a win over Paraguay in the final game in the section saw them reach the intercontinental playoffs.

Those three points saw them finish one point above Colombia, who surprisingly missed out, but they would go on to lose on penalties to Australia in the playoffs.

After getting their first taste of World Cup finals action since 1982 by reaching the 2018 tournament, Peru will be determined to rectify that near miss this time around.

It was a surprise they failed to reach the Qatar finals though considering they have been one of the best performing South American sides over the last decade.

Their Copa America record indicates that they should have reached more than one World Cup over the last 12 years, with semi-final appearances in 2011 and 2015, being finalists in 2019 and bronze medallists in 2021.

Team News

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Schelotto has made seven alterations from the Paraguay squad which faced Nicaragua during the summer.

Julio Enciso remains out injured and is joined on the sidelines by fellow attacker Derlis Gonzalez.

Without Enciso, even more weight will be placed on the shoulders of Miguel Almiron, who continues to feature week-in-week-out for Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Thirty-nine-year-old Antony Silva may be coming to the end of his international career after he was left out of the squad, with Schelotto naming three goalkeepers who have just three caps between them.

Meanwhile, Peru's veteran keeper Pedro Gallese could make his 98th and 99th caps for his country this week.

National captain Paolo Guerrero remains involved too at 39, and he will make his 110th appearance should he feature here.

Cagliari striker Gianluca Lapadula being out injured heightens Guerrero's chances of starting, while Pedro Aquino, Christian Cueva and Edison Flores have all pulled out.

Paraguay possible starting lineup:
S Rojas; R Rojas, Balbuena, Alonso, Alderete; Almiron, Ortiz, Cubas, Ojeda; Gonzalez, Avalos

Peru possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Advincula, Zambrano, Callens, Trauco; Tapia, Pena, Gonzales; Carillo, Guerrero, Ruidiaz

We say: Paraguay 0-1 Peru

Paraguay have been feeble in front of goal under Schelotto and are not among one of the fancied nations to qualify, despite CONMEBOL being awarded two additional places for the new-look 48-team finals.

Peru are unbeaten in their last 10 encounters against Paraguay - winning nine - and look stronger on paper despite being away from home here.


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Written by
Andrew Delaney

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