Argentina will look to recover after suffering an unexpected 2-1 defeat against Paraguay last weekend. Lionel Scaloni leads his squad with 22 points from 11 matches in World Cup qualifying competition.
Nicolas Otamendi of Manchester City fullback is one of Argentina’s stalwarts in defense, while Nicolas Tagliafico from Ajax provides left side protection. The upcoming Argentina National Football Team Vs Peru National Football Team Lineups will be crucial in deciding their momentum going forward.
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Argentina Starting XI | Peru Starting XI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Nov 2024 | World Cup Qualifier (CONMEBOL) | Buenos Aires (La Bombonera) | Argentina 1-0 Peru | Emiliano Martínez; Montiel (Nehuén Pérez); Balerdi (Medina); Otamendi; Tagliafico; De Paul (Lo Celso); Enzo Fernández; Mac Allister (Paredes); Messi; Julián Álvarez; Lautaro Martínez (Giuliano Simeone) (Reddit) | Gallese; Zambrano; Miguel Araujo; Callens; Andy Polo (Rivera); Jesús Castillo; Sonne (Bryan Reyna); Sergio Peña (Quispe); Advíncula; Paolo Guerrero (Lapadula); Valera (Edison Flores) (Reddit) |
| 29 Jun 2024 | Copa América 2024 (Group Stage) | Miami (Hard Rock Stadium) | Argentina 2-0 Peru | Emiliano Martínez; Otamendi; Pezzella (Martínez Quarta); Tagliafico; Montiel; Palacios; Paredes (Guido Rodríguez); Lo Celso (Enzo Fernández); Di María (Valentín Carboni); Lautaro Martínez; Garnacho (Nicolás González) (Reddit) | Gallese; Corzo; Zambrano; Callens; Andy Polo; Cartagena (Jesús Castillo); Sergio Peña; Reyna (Zanelatto); Marcos López (Cueva); Edison Flores (Rivera); Paolo Guerrero (Lapadula) (Reddit) |
| 17 Oct 2023 | World Cup Qualifier (CONMEBOL) | Lima | Peru 0-2 Argentina | Emiliano Martínez; Montiel (Quarta); Romero (Pezzella); Otamendi; Tagliafico (Acuña); De Paul (Lo Celso); Enzo Fernández; Mac Allister; Julián Álvarez (Lautaro?); Messi; Nicolás González (Reddit) | Gallese; Advíncula; Santamaría (Tapia); Abram; Loyola (Trauco); Yotún; Cartagena; Andy Polo (Grimaldo); Zanelatto (Peña); Carrillo; Paolo Guerrero (Reyna) (Reddit) |
| 14 Oct 2021 | World Cup Qualifier (CONMEBOL) | Buenos Aires | Argentina 1-0 Peru | Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina; Cristian Romero; Nicolás Otamendi; Marcos Acuña; Rodrigo de Paul; Leandro Paredes; Giovani Lo Celso; Lionel Messi; Lautaro Martínez; Ángel Di María (Reddit) | Pedro Gallese; Carlos Lora; Carlos Zambrano; Alexander Callens; Miguel Trauco; Pedro Aquino; Christian Cueva; Christofer Gonzáles; Yoshimar Yotún; Raziel García; Gianluca Lapadula (Reddit) |
| 17 Nov 2020 | World Cup Qualifier (CONMEBOL) | Lima | Peru 0-2 Argentina | Starting lineup not available—only result known (Khel Now) | — |
Argentina
South American giants Argentina and Peru have arrived in Miami, Florida for an important Group Stage clash against each other. La Albiceleste will aim to regain momentum following their heartbreaking loss against Brazil in their previous fixture, while Gerardo Scaloni must ensure Lionel Messi remains healthy due to persistent injury concerns from Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Messi’s status remains uncertain as he trains in the humid conditions of Florida International University. Since suffering an injury against Uruguay last month, Messi has yet to start in a competitive match for Argentina; therefore the risk of recurrence must always be present and closely monitored throughout his buildup to this match.
With Barcelona star Lionel Messi’s fitness uncertain, Scaloni must strike a balance between experience and youth when selecting his team to face Peru in this matchup. He could give youngster such as Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono valuable minutes as they try to earn spots in his starting XI. Meanwhile, veterans Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi should remain secure defenders.
Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul are expected to lead Barcelona’s attack alongside Messi, with these two scoring six times between them in their previous two matches and should prove difficult for Peru’s defense to contain.
Carlos Tevez and Lautaro Martinez will look to add to their national team tally in this match against Argentina, though their goal-scoring ability will likely be put under scrutiny against a Peruvian side who has proven adept on the counterattack; having conceded just four goals over their previous five qualifiers, Peru’s no 38 side have come into form since and hope to replicate this against Argentina.
Peru
Uruguay and Peru face off in a World Cup qualifying match with different stakes attached. Marcelo Bielsa can secure his side’s participation if they win both of their remaining matches, while Oscar Ibanez must avoid defeat to maintain hope of qualifying for Russia 2018.
Lionel Messi will likely start up front for Argentina against Paraguay, likely joined by Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez as they look to recover from last week’s 2-1 defeat.
Peru have been given a boost with the return of Arsenal goalkeeper Pedro Gallese after injury. The former Boca Juniors player could replace Santiago Melero between the sticks while Rafael Romo continues to be supported by Wuilker Farinez as back up for Wuilker Farinez and Wuilker Farinez respectively. Striker Jhon Duran remains doubtful due to back pain while Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule remain unavailable options for Peruvians.
Arsenal midfielder Jefferson Savarino could earn 50th cap if selected alongside captain Antonio Valencia in midfield, with Yeferson Soteldo and Carlos Makoun also showing impressive form on the bench.
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Injury Updates
Injury has been a constant obstacle for Argentina during their World Cup qualifying campaign, and that trend may continue on Friday against Peru. Nahuel Molina remains a serious doubt following an injury which saw him sidelined from Saturday’s clash in Cusco; the defender has been an integral component in Scaloni’s system, providing defensive reliability while simultaneously adding attacking flair – his absence will leave Argentina vulnerable in defence and may prevent them from keeping pace with opponents.
Even with all their problems, South American giants should still have enough strength to secure another win. Lionel Messi should collect his 194th cap while starting alongside Inter Miami team-mate Rodrigo de Paul. Alexis Mac Allister could make their tournament debut, while Julian Alvarez may fill in as left winger when Molina is unavailable.
Peru appears to be in good form for their important clash against their rivals, with manager Fernando Batista expected to field similar teams from last week’s defeat to Uruguay, featuring Wuilker Farinez and Jefferson Savarino amongst others.
At present, Jean Archimbaud and Marcos Acuna will both miss their respective matches due to injuries: one will miss some time due to back problems; while the latter has sustained a hamstring strain. Their absence leaves the hosts without two key attackers which could harm their chances of reaching next year’s Russia Final.
Rafael Romo should remain the goalkeeper despite Wuilker Farinez’s strong performance at Real Madrid, but Scaloni could opt for more conservative selection, featuring players like Yerman Perez, Facundo Medina and Valentin Barco on his bench.
Predictions
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni will look to use his squad in these two matches in preparation for their participation at the World Cup, offering opportunities for youngster like Nicolas Paz and Franco Mastantuono to gain experience under Lionel Scaloni as they represent Albiceleste. Furthermore, four players could gain their first caps; Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri could become part of this group.
Defending World Cup champions were impressive in their final home World Cup qualifying game, beating Venezuela 2-0. Unfortunately, this result did not help their chances in the standings as they remain five points behind Uruguay and require an important victory to keep momentum and avoid falling out of automatic qualification places.
As such, expect the starting XI to remain unchanged despite some absences; Gio Lo Celso, Enzo Fernandez and Leandro Paredes should pass fitness tests, yet we anticipate their absence will see Luis Diaz make his comeback alongside Alvaro Pereira and Bryan Reyna among others.
Visitors Ecuador have struggled in recent months, drawing their last six matches since the 2024 Copa America without victory and leaving them sixth in their table; any further defeat would leave them precariously close to losing an intercontinental playoff berth.
Their last meeting at Estadio Nacional ended in a 2-1 win in June 1997, and overall have won 37 out of 58 all-time meetings there. Unfortunately, however, Argentina haven’t seen them win for over 10 years – they will be keen to end that streak soon.
As such, La Celeste should easily win this matchup at home, with more quality players to rely on and the advantage of playing at their venue making them even more favored than their opponent’s who have yet to prove themselves in qualifying for the next round. In such an encounter, we anticipate La Celeste coming out victorious; their better chances at scoring will ensure their victory in this clash.
