Prepare for a real scrap in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier as Peru hosts Chile in this coming Friday’s highly-anticipated Clasico del Pacifico. Both countries are propping up the bottom of the standings and will be seeking some sort of redemption from disappointing campaigns.
Match Preview
A comeback is in serious need for Peru and Chile. The combined points these teams have currently earned would not even provide a playoff berth – a further indication of how badly they are doing.
Peru’s Journey So Far
Peru finally gained their first win in the qualifiers last month with a slender 1-0 victory over Uruguay, while the first competitive triumph in nearly three years saw the side move off the bottom of the standings. However, it saw the euphoria last no longer than a week as a 4-0 defeat to Brazil landed them back in reality.
With only three goals scored in 10 games, it is pretty evident that Peru has attacking woes. Defensively, too, they have failed to compensate for it, and their campaign has hence been pretty abysmal. Far from the World Cup appearance in 2018 and their Copa America final in 2019, the Blanquirroja fight for their former glory.
Despite everything, home soil has been a relative stronghold for Peru. They have lost only twice in their last 11 home qualifiers, including an ambitious draw against Colombia in September.
Chile’s Crisis
That’s nothing compared to Chile, whose qualifying run has been an absolute disaster – five straight defeats leave them dead last in the table. Last month, a last-minute defeat in Brazil was followed by the ignominy of a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Colombia. With just five points from 10 games, qualification is highly unlikely.
Manager Ricardo Gareca has done little to turn their fortunes around yet, losing all his matches since he took over during the summer. That means his spell in charge comes on the back of Chile’s group stage Copa America exit, during which they also failed to score a goal. Recent losses, including a surprise home defeat to Bolivia, illustrate the severity of their situation.
Team News
Peru Updates
Injuries: Renato Tapia and Yoshimar Yotun remain out, with Yotun sidelined for over a year.
Veteran Returns: Paolo Guerrero, at 40, could return to add to his remarkable cap total.
Notable Absences: Marcos Lopez has been dropped due to a lack of playing time at his club.
Possible Peru Starting XI:
Gallese; Araujo, Zambrano, Abram; Advincula, Sonne, Castillo, Pena, Callens; Lapadula, Flores
Chile News
Injuries: Alexis Sanchez is out, and Ben Brereton Diaz gets overlooked.
Call-Up: 37-year-old Arturo Vidal returns after outstanding displays for Colo-Colo.
Captaincy: Guillermo Maripan will captain the team in Sanchez’s absence.
Possible Chile Starting XI:
Cortes; Loyola, Kuscevic, Maripan, Hormazabal; Valdes, Vidal, Echeverria; Mora, Vargas, Tapia
Prediction: Peru 2-0 Chile
Peru’s home performances have given them a glimmer of hope, with draws against better teams like Colombia and Uruguay. They thus have a golden opportunity to secure three precious points against a struggling Chile side and keep their faint qualifying hopes alive.
Their solitary victory in this campaign came against Peru in the reverse fixture last year, but with the form of late on display, another defeat seems to be a mere formality.
Key Takeaways:
Home Record: Peru holds a better record at home, where they have been the better side on most occasions.
The present crisis of Chile, with five successive defeats in this competition puts them at a huge disadvantage.
