Match Preview: Argentina 1-1 Paraguay Prediction and Betting Tips | World Cup – Qualification

Argentina – Paraguay Betting Tips for today, November 13, 2020

Match Preview and Predictions

• Unbeaten in nine games (W6, D3), and with a 100% record in South American World Cup qualification (WCQ) so far (W2), Argentina enter this match as heavy favourites. However, they have scored first in just one of their last seven WCQ matches (W3, D3, L1), and netted just once across the last three H2Hs (D2, L1), so a shock result is more than possible.
• Considering Argentina’s footballing stature, it may come as some surprise that the hosts have scored over 2.5 goals in just one of their last ten WCQ home games (W5, D3, L2), and that the previous four such matches saw their only goals come from either own goals or the penalty spot. Furthermore they’ve struggled in WCQ home H2Hs winning just one of the last seven (W1, D5, L1), and conceding before the 20th minute in the previous three.
• Paraguay enter this fixture on a five-game unbeaten run themselves (W2, D3), with their two WCQ matches this campaign featuring a goalless first half and four of the five total goals netted after the 65th minute. They’ve had similar late strikes on the road too, with four of their last six WCQ away goals arriving after the 80th minute.
• As the visitors have previously been a thorn in Argentina’s side in this competition – and are currently on a national-record three consecutive WCQ away wins since qualification was reformatted – an away victory is possible. However it would likely be tight, as nine of Paraguay’s 12 WCQ away wins since 2000 came via a one-goal margin.
• Players to watch: Lionel Messi has taken a penalty in three of Argentina’s last four games (two scored), and scored a penalty in the last H2H.
• Ángel Romero scored a WCQ brace last month, and subsequently has been Paraguay’s first goalscorer in all three international games that he’s scored in.
• Hot stat: There’s been seven penalties awarded across the last seven H2Hs.