Brazil vs Paraguay

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group leaders Brazil play host to underperforming Paraguay at the Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto.

A 97th-minute penalty against Brazil overturned by VAR helped the five-time world champions eke out a 1-1 draw against Ecuador last time out. Having kept their unbeaten record in the ongoing qualifying campaign intact (W11, D3), Tite’s men now return to home soil, where they’ve won all six World Cup qualifying outings so far by an aggregate score of 15-1. With four of those six triumphs yielding a full-time margin of 2+ goals, Brazil will be confident of beating Paraguay in World Cup qualifying for the third time in a row, having kept a clean sheet in both previous meetings. Like their arch-rivals Argentina, the ‘Selecao’ are entertaining the prospect of becoming the first-ever CONMEBOL nation to go unbeaten a World Cup qualifying cycle under the current 18-game format.

On the other hand, Paraguay could be waving goodbye to their hopes of making the World Cup finals for the first time since 2010 should they lose here. Sitting six points adrift of fifth-placed Uruguay with three games left, the Paraguayans have to defy their six-match winless run in away World Cup qualifiers (D3, L3) if they are to remain in contention for the inter-confederation play-offs. That’s easier said than done, especially considering that ‘Los Guaraníes’ have drawn a blank in each of their last five road trips in the ongoing cycle. Alongside continental minnows Venezuela, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s men lament the competition-low two goals scored on foreign soil. Home and away, it has been 584 minutes of World Cup qualifying football since Paraguay last found the back of the net, further adding to their list of worries.