Argentina take on the visitors Peru in the round 12 match of South America World Cup Qualification. The match will be played on Wednesday, November 20th at Estadio Alberto J. Armando (Buenos Aires).
Argentina aims to prove their hunger for success remains. The "Albiceleste" endured a long trophy drought, frequently falling short in finals, including World Cups. Everything changed under Lionel Scaloni. First, Argentina claimed the Copa América title. Then, in Qatar two years ago, Lionel Messi and his team finally secured the World Cup. Even after that triumph, Argentina has maintained their momentum, topping the South American qualification standings after a string of victories last year. However, they faced setbacks, including a defeat to Bielsa’s Uruguay. This summer, they retained their Copa América crown, albeit with some difficulty: Emiliano Martínez’s penalty heroics were crucial in the playoffs, and Lautaro Martínez scored the lone goal in the final during extra time. This autumn has been more challenging. After decisive home wins over Chile and Bolivia, Argentina lost to Colombia away in September and drew with Venezuela in October. Adding to their struggles, they suffered a surprising defeat to Paraguay in their most recent outing despite taking an early lead. Argentina’s attack remains potent at home, especially with Messi pulling the strings and Lautaro Martínez in form. Look for Argentina to dominate possession and create multiple scoring opportunities, potentially leading to a comprehensive victory.
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Peru made headlines by qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, where they performed respectably. In their subsequent campaign, they reached the intercontinental playoffs but were eliminated on penalties. Since then, however, Peru has regressed, particularly in the current qualification cycle. Jorge Fossati took over as head coach in 2024, but his tenure has been underwhelming. During the Copa América, Peru failed to score a single goal: they opened with a 0-0 draw against Chile, followed by goalless losses to Canada and Argentina.
This autumn, there have been brief moments of promise, including a home win over Uruguay and a draw with Colombia. However, their away performances have been dismal, with scoreless losses to Ecuador and a heavy defeat to Brazil. Last week’s 0-0 stalemate with Chile only highlighted their attacking woes. Peru’s defensive setup might delay the inevitable, but their lack of firepower will leave them vulnerable to Argentina’s relentless pressure.
Peru hasn’t beaten Argentina since 1997. Argentina has won their last four encounters against this opponent. Argentina’s recent stumbles should spark a strong response. Facing a Peruvian side that has struggled to score and has a poor record against top teams, the reigning champions are expected to end the year on a high note.
Prediction for the match: Argentina to win with a -2.0 goal handicap.
