The first half of the match was extremely physical, and the Albiceleste was practically manhandled by the Colombians.
But Argentina’s defense played the villain this time around, and they conceded two late goals to have any hopes of topping the group seriously crushed.
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Paraguay had the match in their hand, in their opener, and let it all go in the final stages. Opponent Qatar was perceived as an easy choice, considering their inexperience in handling tougher Latin American opponents, and as expected they conceded an early goal, and went under pressure right away.
The two-time world champions found footing in the game and started to dominated proceedings.
As the tie progressed, the South Americans added one more goal to put a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard. But the Asian champions had other plans. Courtesy their star striker Almoez Ali, the team hit back, and reduced the lead of their counterparts, and added one late goal in the 77th minute to equalize the scoreline.
Paraguay surely took the moral loss after leading for quite a long time against the underdogs.
Argentina vs Paraguay Head-to-head (h2h)
- The last time these two met, Paraguay recorded a 0-1 win.
- 26 of the last 29 wins went to the Albiceleste.
- The last time these two met in this competition, Argentina recorded a huge 6-1 win.
- Five of the last seven clashes saw Paraguay conceding two or more goals.
Argentina vs Paraguay Prediction
Argentina has no option but to win this tie. They came into this competition with nothing but the thirst to lift the title.
It’s been hard several years for one of the game’s major superpowers, and they need this trophy more than they want it.
Their superior h2h record against this opponent gives them hope, and especially the way they played in the second half in the Colombia game, despite the loss.
If the team is able to address their defensive shortcomings, the front trio of Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, and Angel Di Maria should be able to deliver a much-needed win.
Take into account that their team has registered 26 of the last 29 h2h wins, and scored two or more goals in five of the last seven such clashes.