Uruguay vs Paraguay
Uruguay are desperately looking for a victory when they host Paraguay at the Estadio Centenario this Thursday.
La Celeste are lagging behind in the updated CONMEBOL standings since they are at the fifth spot and they’re in danger to miss out on the World Cup 2022 tournament if they don’t get their act together.
On the other hand, Paraguay are undefeated in seven consecutive games and a win over Uruguay here will be big since it would widen their gap over them.
Every game from here on out is pivotal as World Cup 2022 spots are scarce, and rest assured that we’ll be covering all the action here at SBOTOP.
Allow us to give you a glimpse on what to expect this upcoming Thursday evening.
Talking Points
Make or break for Uruguay
La Celeste are hoping for a turnaround in form after their lacklustre start in the qualifying tournament since they’ve alternated wins and losses in their opening four matches.
They started well with a 2-1 win over Chile, but they were humbled by the Ecuadorians who ran riot en route to a 4-2 tally. Uruguay then bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Colombia and it was followed by a 2-0 setback against powerhouse Brazil last November 2020.
With their backs against the wall, Uruguay are to lean on to the broad shoulders of Luis Suarez and Maxi Gomez anew since the two forwards have been creating numerous World Cup 2022 highlights.
Suarez in particular is the key man to look out for if you’re Paraguay since he is having one of the best seasons of his life despite his advancing age. In the qualifiers, Suarez is responsible for four of their seven total goals so far.
After being disregarded by Barcelona, the 34-year-old striker made the most of his new opportunity with Atletico Madrid and he played a pivotal role in bringing home their first La Liga crown in over seven seasons.
Meanwhile, Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani will have to sit this game out since he was sent off against Brazil and he’ll be replaced by Jonathan Rodriguez.
Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin are to marshal La Celeste’s backline while Lucas Torreira and Rodrigo Bentancur should feature in the central midfield.
Paraguay are going for the kill
In stark contrast, La Albirroja are aiming for a return to the World Cup after missing out previously, which is why their strong start in the qualifiers is a welcome development.
They are undefeated so far in the competition, although they would prefer to be in pole position at fourth instead of being level with Uruguay in points.
Surprisingly, Antonio Sanabria has not been named in their 32-man squad after a solid campaign with Torino and that leaves all the attacking responsibility for the Romero twins and Miguel Almiron.
Angel Romero is the team’s leading scorer with four goals and he’ll look to go toe-to-toe against Uruguay’s top hitmen.
On the other hand, Miguel Almiron is going to be the x-factor for Paraguay. Team manager Eduardo Berizzo has a tall task of getting the best out of the 27-year-old since he isn’t being used much by Newcastle United in the recently-concluded Premier League season.
History
Uruguay have been the better team against Paraguay when looking at their head-to-head matchups.
In their 13 games against each other, La Celeste had six wins, while La Albirroja got four wins along with three draws.
This game will mark the first time that these two teams meet in a competitive setting since 2017. Prior to Thursday, Uruguay were winners of two straight with an aggregate tally of 6-1.
Paraguay’s last victory over Uruguay dates back to October 2007 during a World Cup qualifying game as Nelson Valdez scoring the marginal goal in the first half.
