Uruguay vs Paraguay

Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos hosts an intriguing Copa America 2021 showdown between Uruguay and Paraguay, with the latter gunning for their first H2H win since October 2007.

Following a slow start to their Copa America 2021 journey (D1, L1), Uruguay cruised to a 2-0 win over minnows Bolivia last time out to land a place in the knock-outs for the second tournament in a row. Seeking their first Copa America success since 2011, the Uruguayans will at least hope to post back-to-back group stage wins in the competition for the first time since 1995! Though the abovementioned triumph over Bolivia halted Uruguay’s dismal five-match winless streak (D3, L2), ‘La Celeste’ continue to struggle in front of goal. Oscar Tabarez’s men have scored precisely once in their last two internationals after drawing a blank in four consecutive games beforehand. Unsurprisingly, low scoring has been a common theme in Uruguay’s recent fixtures, with each of the last six featuring under 2.5 total goals.

Meanwhile, the Paraguayans have recorded a pair of two-goal victories in their opening three group stage fixtures (L1) for the first time since 2007. Looking to finish top of their Copa America group for the first time since 2004, Paraguay must better Argentina’s result against Bolivia, which seems to be an unlikely scenario. Yet, Eduardo Berizzo’s men have to be careful about their slow entries, having conceded the opening goal within 15 minutes in three of their last four outings. Paraguay’s promising start to their Copa America 2021 voyage represents a significant turnaround from their pre-competition form, where they had managed just two wins from 41 competitive fixtures. Interestingly, ‘Los Guaraníes’ have netted five goals across their three Copa America group stage games so far, one less than they scored in their previous seven internationals combined.