Lionel Messi is in the spotlight.
As Paraguay prepares to prevent the Argentine star from moving “comfortably,” Albiceleste outlines their plan to take advantage of his talent and goals by visiting the Defensores del Chaco stadium on Thursday.
A new victory would prop up Argentina in the upper zone of the South American qualifiers towards the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Messi and company arrive toned by a succession of good results. After becoming established in the Copa América, beating Brazil in the final in July to end the 28-year streak without international titles, Argentina won the two matches that it was able to complete in the previous double date of the qualifying rounds.
With a hat trick from Messi, the Argentines beat Bolivia 3-0 last September, to then have an emotional celebration in front of their fans for their continental title.
Without Neymar, the Brazilian steamroller visits Venezuela
In Caracas, Brazil will miss Neymar and Casemiro, but will win back eight Premier League players when they face bottom side Venezuela on Thursday in search of their ninth consecutive victory in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Last with just four units out of 27 possible, Venezuela should not worry the Brazilians, who will have taken a big step towards qualifying for Qatar 2022 if they win at the Olympic Stadium in Caracas. If it wins, Brazil would reach 27 points, which many say is the “magic number” that guarantees a classification.
Brazil beat Venezuela only 1-0 at home last November, but since then Verdeamerela has grown and Vinotinto fell apart.
Neymar will not be present due to the accumulation of warnings, while Casemiro was ruled out due to an infection in the mouth.
The Brazilians, however, recover eight players who were absent in the last round of matches because their clubs in the English Premier League prohibited them from traveling due to the health restrictions they would have had to undergo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. . The British government establishes a 10-day quarantine in a hotel on their return.
Peru and Chile risk their lives in the qualifying rounds
In Lima, Peru and Chile face each other on Thursday in a match where both teams can only win to try to get closer to the dream of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Peruvians are seventh with eight points and the Chileans are behind with seven points. It is imperative that they reap triumphs at the beginning of the second half of the qualifying rounds and approach the 13 points of Colombia, which occupies the fifth place and with it would play an intercontinental play-off for a ticket.
The Argentine coach of the white-and-red Ricardo Gareca described the match “as a final” and did not rule out an attack in which the historic scorer Paolo Guerrero and the Italian-Peruvian Gianluca Lapadula play together.
“We are looking at all the possibilities. The important thing is that the team feels comfortable. It is not one or the other, it is what we see, depending on who is better, ”said Gareca.
Uruguay-Colombia, direct pulse towards Qatar
In Montevideo, part of the squad that chases the leaders of the South American qualifiers, Colombia and Uruguay, three vital points are played on Thursday in Montevideo in the race to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The locals will seek to maintain third place and the visitors will enter the direct classification zone. A victory would allow Colombia to move to the Celeste standings.
The statements of its technicians reflect the importance of the arm wrestling in the Gran Parque Central stadium.
“All these games are sensitive and the points are important,” said Colombian helmsman Reinaldo Rueda.
“We are risking significant things to go to the World Cup. They face the third and the fourth … They are points that matter, ”said Óscar Tabárez, Uruguay’s coach since 2006.
Uruguay reaches the tenth game of the tournament after two consecutive victories and after having played with a renewed squad that showed dynamism with some new players and prioritizing the action of others, such as the midfielder. Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
Ecuador moves to Guayaquil to receive Bolivia
In Quito, for the first time in two decades, Ecuador leaves its traditional redoubt on the height of Quito to play at sea level in hot Guayaquil.
With Bolivia as the first adversary on Thursday, the change of venue is due to Ecuador’s strategy of counting as many points as possible in this new triple date of the South American qualifiers and staying in the qualifying zone for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
After 23 years, the Ecuadorian team decided to leave the Quito headquarters, at 2,850 meters, and play in Guayaquil, a hot city at sea level, where the players are under strict concentration to avoid possible coronavirus infections, as reported by the local federation .
“Ecuador is a team that, wherever it plays, is a team that goes out to play as equals with rivals on any field, and that is why we want them to respect Ecuador beyond the geographical place where they play,” said the Argentine coach of Ecuador, Gustavo Alfaro.
.
