After the loss to Colombia, coach Lionel Scaloni strongly changed the starting lineup against Paraguay. Up front, Scaloni eliminated the duo Di Maria - Aguero. In defense, after a disastrous match that led to both goals conceded against Colombia, right-back Renzo Saravia was left out of the starting lineup.
In theory, Argentina can still win a ticket to the quarter-finals even if they lose to Paraguay. The reason is that if they beat the host team Qatar in the final match, they still have the hope to become one of the two best third-placed teams, thereby passing the group stage through the back door. However, that is only a theory, if they lose to Paraguay, Argentina's position will be seriously affected and above all, Albiceleste will not have the right to decide their own fate.
Argentina took the initiative to enter the match right after the opening whistle. However, similar to the last 2 encounters with Paraguay in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers (Argentina lost 1, drew 1), La Albiceleste had many difficulties against this tough opponent. During the first half, Argentina played very poorly because they could not create enough pressure, causing Paraguay's defense to make mistakes. Worse, Messi and his teammates did not have any dangerous shots towards goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez.
It was not until the 29th minute that the first shot appeared, but it belonged to Paraguay. At that time, Gonzalez appeared quickly on the right wing before hitting Tagliafico, the ball went past the Armani goal.
While the attack was completely deadlocked, the Argentine defense once again made a mistake. In the 37th minute, the Argentine defenders were helpless in stopping Miguel Almiron, allowing the midfielder to run down the touchline, sending a pass back to Richard Sanchez to score, giving Paraguay a 1-0 lead.
After falling behind, Argentina still showed a deadlock in deploying attacks and approaching the opponent's goal. Argentina's second half situation improved after Sergio Aguero was brought on.
In the 51st minute, the Tango team was lucky to receive a penalty after a touch from player Ivan Piris from Paraguay. The referee carefully considered and consulted VAR before awarding Argentina a penalty. On the 11m mark, Messi did not miss the opportunity to score the equalizer 1-1 for Argentina.
A few minutes after Messi's goal, Argentina was blown 11m after a foul by Otamendi in the penalty area. On the penalty spot, goalkeeper Armani became a hero when he successfully blocked Derlis Gonzalez' shot, helping the home team escape defeat.
In the following period, Argentina tried to score another goal but failed. To draw Paraguay 1-1, Argentina temporarily ranked last in Group B with only 1 point won after 2 matches (equal to Qatar but below the secondary index). Paraguay is in 2nd place with 2 points after 2 draws. This draw also caused Argentina to lose the right to decide for themselves in the final match. Albiceleste must beat Qatar and hope Paraguay will draw or lose to Colombia to qualify for the quarter-finals. This is not an easy task for Argentina at a time when the team's spirit has clearly declined. Not to mention, Qatar has shown that they are not an easy opponent to play against.
