2023-10-13 05:01:00
Argentina maintained its 100% record in the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by defeating Paraguay 1-0 this Thursday (12), in Buenos Aires, in the 3rd round of the competition.
The only goal of the game came just three minutes into the first half, with defender Nicols Otamendi hitting a beautiful first-time shot after a corner kick to the left by Rodrigo de Paul.
Without star Lionel Messi in the starting lineup, and with the absence of Angel Di Mara, coach Lionel Scaloni opted for a 4-4-2 formation to line up the ‘Albiceleste’, with an attacking duo formed by Lautaro Martnez and Julin Álvarez.
But to the delight of the fans at the Monumental stadium, Messi entered the field at the beginning of the second half (53′), replacing Álvarez.
The number 10 surprised Paraguayan goalkeeper Carlos Coronel with a corner kick that narrowly missed (72′).
In addition, Messi had another chance to score a free kick at the edge of the area, but the ball exploded onto Coronel’s right post (90’+2).
“In the first half the team showed the best of what they have been doing, creating situations with recoveries, with the right aggression, although the result was meager”, analyzed Scaloni at the end of the match.
“The Argentine team is in a great moment and it’s not easy to face that. We played against an opponent who controls the ball very well and won everything they played for”, admitted the coach of the Paraguayan national team, Daniel Garnero
In the 4th round of the Qualifiers, Argentina visits Peru in Lima, while Paraguay hosts Bolvia.
#Argentina #beats #Paraguay #remains #Qualifiers #International