Paraguay vs Uruguay Predictions

• Paraguay have won just two of their 14 games in the World Cup qualification campaign.
• The hosts have only scored nine goals in this campaign, and are yet to find the net in two games under new coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
• Uruguay are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Paraguay.

Uruguay begin new era with crucial road trip

Oscar Tabarez occupied the Uruguayan hotseat for a remarkable 15 years, winning the 2011 Copa America and leading La Celeste to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 40 years in 2010. Tabarez’s November dismissal spelled the end of his remarkable tenure, and former Inter Miami boss Diego Alonso is now tasked with leading the two-time World champions to Qatar after a poor run.

Uruguay’s hopes of reaching the World Cup are hanging in the balance, after a sequence of four consecutive defeats left them seventh in the South American qualification group. Uruguay need a result in Paraguay, who held them to a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture.

Paraguay’s own hopes of a World Cup appearance look remarkably slim; they’ve scored just nine times in their 14 games, winning two. Only rock-bottom Venezuela have lost in Paraguay thus far, and head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto has not seen his team find the net in his two games in charge thus far.

New manager bounce can reignite Uruguayan hopes?

While the visitors can call upon the old guard of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, a younger generation of talent, including Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, and Juventus Rodrigo Bentancur, mean this is a squad that should, on paper at least, not only make it to Qatar, but compete strongly there.

Uruguay now have a kind fixture list, with new coach Alonso not having to face any of the current top four before the qualification process ends. The impact of a new coach, as well as the dire record of Paraguay, should be enough for Uruguay to seal a vital win.

With Paraguay having already been shutout eight times in this group, a 2-0 away win could be a decent correct score prediction.