Pre-match information
Coach Gustavo Alfaro had a good start with Paraguay, ending a three-game losing streak. The 0-0 draw at Uruguay on September 7 also prevented Luis Suarez from saying a proper farewell to the home team.
However, Paraguay will have to improve a lot if they want to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. With only 1 win in the South American qualifying round so far, they are ranked 7th with 6 points (3 draws, 3 losses).
It's a place in the intercontinental play-offs, but there are always teams behind them ready to leapfrog them. That could be the case in this round of fixtures, as they host Brazil.
But Paraguay also have a “talisman” in Alfaro, who has drawn three consecutive games against Brazil while in charge of Ecuador and Costa Rica. Of course, he will need his players to really fight on the pitch, because Paraguay have not beaten Brazil inside 90 minutes since a home qualifier in 2008.
As for Brazil, after a turbulent period, they ended a four-game winless run (D1 L3) in qualifying with a 1-0 win over Ecuador. It was the fourth victory under coach Dorival Junior (D4 L1), and a similar result in Paraguay would give the Selecao their first back-to-back wins under his guidance.
Anything less than three points would be a disappointment, especially as Brazil have scored 10 goals in three games against Paraguay this decade (W3).
In the recent Copa America, Brazil won 3-1, with Vinicius Junior scoring a double.
