Argentina forward Lionel Messi. (Photo : Getty Images)
Argentina will attempt to move up in the CONMEBOL 2018 World Cup qualifying standings as they take on an equally struggling Paraguay Tuesday (7:30 p.m US ET) at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempe in Cordoba.
Preview:
Argentina is coming off a 2-2 draw with Peru last October 6 in Peru. After trailing 0-2 in the second half, Lucas Prato scored in the 57th minuite and Nicolas Otamendi nailed the equalizer in the 82nd minuite to salvage a point in that match.
Paraguay, meanwhile, were the latest victims of goal-scoring rampage from Uruguay's Edinson Cavani. The PSG scoring machine recorded two goals, the first coming in the 17th minuite while the second in the 53rd to seal a 4-0 win in Montevideo. Cavani now is the top goal scorer in the CONMEBOL qualifying tournament with seven goals.
This will be their second encounter of the World Cup qualifying tournament. The first match between the two football nations ended in a scoreless draw in Asuncion last Oct. 13, 2015.
Argentina has already collected 16 points, but placed behind Ecuador and Colombia because of its inferior record of 4-4-1 - good for fifth place. Paraguay has 12 points with a 3-3-3 record, one point ahead of 7th place Chile (3-2-4).
Team News & Lineup Report
Argentina: Lionel Messi will skip Tuesday's match because of a knee injury. Argentina has been undefeated in three games with Messi and 1-4-1 is six games without him. Nevertheless, the World Cup runner-up will get the service of Sergio Aguero, who also struggled with fitness problem the last game.
Paraguay: ESPN FC analyst Tim Vickery believes Paraguay has an outside chance of making it into the World Cup finals despite not boasting global stars in the lineup.
Live Stream of Argentina vs. Paraguay game is available on beIN sports Espanyol and Sports Stream. Complete TV and Streaming guide can be found on LiveSoccer TV.
