Overview
The 1-2 defeat to Brazil in the most recent match has caused Colombia to sink deeper into crisis. Nestor Lorenzo's team has suffered 3 consecutive losses, before that against Uruguay and Colombia.
Notably, their defense has performed quite poorly in the past time with 6 goals conceded, equal to the number of goals conceded in their previous 10 matches.
As for Paraguay, they are playing better and better in the qualifiers with a streak of 7 consecutive unbeaten matches (4 wins, 3 draws). Looking at the list of losers in coach Gustavo Alfaro's team, it is even more impressive.
That list includes teams such as Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile. If they continue to play impressively, a ticket to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 is completely within their reach.
The factor that makes Paraguay extremely uncomfortable is the tightly arranged defense system, always highly concentrated. Therefore, the 53rd-ranked team has only conceded 7 goals since the beginning of the qualifiers, a record only behind Ecuador and equal to Argentina. Therefore, although the attack has only scored 9 goals, they still have favorable results.
Paraguay is at a disadvantage against Colombia when considering their head-to-head record with 3 consecutive losses. However, a declining Colombia will bring a chance to win all 3 points for Alfaro's team.
Personnel situation
Defender Yerson Mosquera will continue to be absent from the Colombian squad due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Juan Cabal was also out for the same reason.
Two players Marino Hinestroza and Johan carbonero were named in the reserve list for the match against Brazil but were not used. They are all waiting for their first appearance in the national team jersey.
On the other side of the front line, captain Gustavo Gomez's injury will prevent him from participating in this match. Hugo Cuenca is also sidelined with muscle problems and his replacement is Ruben Lezcano.
There are 4 Paraguayans looking for their first appearances for the national team: Rodney Redes, Ruben Lezcano, Ronaldo de Jesus and Orlando Gill.
Expected lineup:
Colombia: Vargas, Munoz, Cuesta, Lucumi, Mojica, Rios, Lerma, Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz, Duran.
Paraguay: Fernandez, Caceres, Balbuena, Alderete, Alonso, Galarza, Villasanti, Cubas, Almiron, Sanabria, Enciso.
The match between Colombia and Paraguay takes place at 7:00 a.m. on March 26 (Vietnam time).
