Paraguay – Chile

Chile can hold on for a draw

On Friday night, 21 March, Paraguay will play against Chile. This is one of the most important matches of the 13th round of South American selection. Both teams are not even close to qualifying for the World Cup. Paraguay are just outside the top six while the Chileans retain a realistic chance of seventh position. In South America, the top six qualify directly and one more team qualifies for the knockout rounds. The Paraguayans have produced a rare six-match unbeaten streak. Within its framework, they managed to beat Brazil and Argentina. In addition, the midfielder of the selection stood on the road against Ecuador and Uruguay. That is very serious progress. Surprisingly, such results came without a large number of stars in the squad. The key players in attack - Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enquiso and Miguel Almiron - are far from top-level by the standards of the best European leagues. Interestingly, Paraguay is one of the most closed national teams in qualification. The average efficiency of matches is 1.3 goals per game. Ecuador have the same number. At the same time, Paraguayans have played three meetings on the total more. A thriller with Bolivia on the road - 2:2. Now Paraguay is united by a common idea. The coach is far from a star: Argentinean Gustavo Alfaro has previously led Ecuador to the World Cup, but after that he has already managed to work not too successfully in Costa Rica. The Chileans are still struggling to get rid of their veterans. Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas, Arturo Vidal and Charles Aranguiz are still in the squad. The legendary generation never made it to any World Cup. Now is definitely the last chance for the most resilient. The Chilean national team looked like a hopeless outsider for a long time, but the previous international break gave hope: the team picked up four points by beating Venezuela at home, they also snatched a draw from Peru. Coach Ricardo Gareca joined the national team in early 2024. By autumn, the Argentine had succeeded in revitalising even the forgotten veterans. In the match against Venezuela, Vargas and Vidal were on the pitch. The rivals had played 0-0 in the first round. It was a boring, cautious match. Now it is also likely to be the same. A draw will suit both teams. Paraguay still has a reserve from the seventh position - there is no point in taking any risks. For Chile, a point away is a great result, considering the next important matches with their rivals. Bookmakers give odds above 5.00 on the visitors. There is no such difference in class. Paraguay does not look so clear favourite for the game. The team is still not too confident to open the saturated defence. The best matches of the national team were held just against the giants.