In a crucial CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying fixture, Venezuela, showing promise in their campaign, visit Peru, currently at the bottom of the table, in a bid to secure points and sustain their progress.
Match Preview:
Peru’s World Cup qualifying journey has been disappointing, accumulating just one point from their five matches, leaving them at the bottom of the CONMEBOL table.
Recent defeats, including the most recent loss against Bolivia, have added to their woes.
Manager Juan Reynoso is under pressure to change their fortune, particularly as they haven’t won a match in this campaign yet.
Facing Brazil and Argentina early in the qualifiers could be seen as a slight positive, but the team desperately needs a victory against Venezuela to remain in contention.
Historically, Peru has a good record against Venezuela on home turf and will hope to capitalize on that.
On the other hand, Venezuela has surprised many with their performances in the qualifiers, currently sitting in a solid position within the automatic qualification spots.
They’ve shown resilience and potential, having lost only one match, against Colombia, so far in the campaign. Draws against Brazil and Ecuador further emphasize their improvement.
Venezuela’s historical struggle to qualify for the World Cup contrasts with their current form, which is instilling belief that they might break that barrier this time around.
Recent Form:
Peru:
- LLLL (Last four World Cup Qualifying matches)
- LLDLLL (All competitions)
Venezuela:
- WDWDW (Last five World Cup Qualifying matches)
- WDWWD (All competitions)
Team News:
Peru could make changes following their disappointing defeat against Bolivia. Aldo Corzo is set to earn his 50th cap and will likely start in place of the suspended Luis Advincula.
However, key player Christian Cueva remains sidelined due to injury.
Venezuela will miss the uncapped Jesus Bueno due to injury, while Josef Martinez, without a club, has been overlooked.
Salomon Rondon is expected to lead the attacking line after his landmark 100th cap against Chile.
Possible Lineups:
Peru:(4-3-3)
Gallese;
Corzo, Zambrano, Callens, Lopez;
Quispe, Tapia, Yotun;
Carrillo, Guerrero, Zanelatto
Venezuela:(4-3-3)
Romo;
Gonzalez, Angel, Makoun, Navarro;
Casseres, Jose Martinez, Herrera;
Sosa, Rondon, Soteldo
Prediction: Peru 0-0 Venezuela
Peru, struggling to find their rhythm, must capitalize on home advantage to rejuvenate their campaign.
However, Venezuela, despite historical difficulties in Peru, has shown resilience and might extend their unbeaten run with a respectable result in this fixture.
