There aren’t many games in football that are as important as the one between Argentina and Paraguay, two giants from South America. Before we get into the exciting match between these two football powerhouses, we’ll give you a full rundown of the upcoming game, the teams’ recent form, and what to expect on the field.
Argentina vs Paraguay Preview
Argentina is the current world winner and wants to keep up their great play in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Since their amazing win over France in the 2022 World Cup final, Argentina has kept their perfect record, winning six straight games without giving up a single goal. This amazing run includes easy wins in friendly games against Panama, Curaçao, Australia, and Indonesia. They also beat Ecuador and Bolivia in their first two World Cup qualifiers last month. Notably, their recent success has been achieved without their star player, Lionel Messi, which shows how talented their team is overall.
Argentina is currently ranked first in the FIFA world rankings. They are also tied for first place in the CONMEBOL standings with Brazil, and they have won their last 12 games in all categories. Since September 2009, Argentina has won 18 of their last 28 World Cup qualifiers when they played at home and tied eight.
But the game against Paraguay on Friday should not be taken lightly. Argentina is the better team, but they’ve only won one of their last six games against Paraguay. The most recent game, in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, ended in a scoreless tie.
Paraguay’s Pursuit of Redemption
FIFA ranks Paraguay as the 52nd best country in the world. They want to make things better. They fired manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto and hired Daniel Garnero as their new head coach after a rough year in which they only won one of seven games. Garnero likes to attack, so his first game as manager will be against Argentina, a strong team. Will be hard for him.
They need to get their offense going again because they have only scored one goal in their last 11 games. In November 2020, they tied Argentina 1-1 in group play for the 2022 World Cup. That was the last away goal they scored in a big game.
Current Form and Lineups
Argentina:
- World Cup Qualifying – South America form: WW
- Form in all competitions: WWWWWW
Paraguay:
- World Cup Qualifying – South America form: DL
- Form in all competitions: LLLWDL
Argentina vs Paraguay Team News
Injury concerns have affected both teams. Argentina’s Paulo Dybala and Juan Foyth have withdrawn from the national team squad, while Lisandro Martinez is unavailable due to injury. However, the return of Lionel Messi from a muscle problem is a ray of hope for Argentina. Their possible starting lineup could include Messi, Julian Alvarez, and Nicolas Gonzalez in the front three.
On the other side, Paraguay faces setbacks with Andres Cubas, Cristhian Paredes, and Diego Gomez forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. Paraguayan fans can expect to see Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron, along with Gabriel Avalos and Ramon Sosa, in the front three.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Argentina: E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez, Gonzalez
Paraguay: Coronel; Rojas, Balbuena, Gomez, Alonso; Villasanti, Sanchez, Romero; Almiron, Avalos, Sosa
Argentina vs Paraguay Match Prediction
When these two football teams play, everyone will be looking to see if Lionel Messi is healthy enough to play. Argentina is likely to win because they have a history of success and are playing well right now. Argentina has had trouble with Paraguay, but we think the world champions have what it takes to get all three points, especially since Paraguay has been having trouble scoring lately.
Bet on the best Betting Exchange sites with our expert tips. If you want to bet on this match, then try out the Orbit Exchange.
There are more different betting information on Germany betting exchange.
Read more: How to place lay bet on Orbit Exchange?