Preview: Chile vs. Paraguay – prediction, team news, lineups

Chile will host Paraguay on Wednesday as both teams look to prepare and build momentum ahead of the Copa America.

In November they battled out a goalless draw back in a feisty game that saw each reduced to 10 men, setting the tone for this particular international friendly.

Match preview

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Ahead of the Copa America, Chile will attempt to build as much momentum as possible before their opening fixture against Peru after an inconsistent period.

The Red One were defeated by France in a five-goal thriller during their most recent outing, despite taking the lead in the sixth minute of the game courtesy of Marcelino Nunez.

Ricardo Gareca‘s men have not registered consecutive victories since June of last year, with the team picking up two wins, three draws, and four losses in that period.

A big problem for Chile has been finding the back of the net lately, as five of those nine performances saw them fail to score a single goal, which is an issue they must address heading into the Copa America.

The Red One did not score back in November when they last played Paraguay either, despite their opponents being down to 10 men throughout the entire second half.

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The visitors will also be aiming to put together a stronger performance than when their previous meeting against Chile, which resulted in Robert Rojas heading for an early shower.

While they still have one more friendly to play before the Copa America, Paraguay will attempt to start building their momentum, which places plenty of importance on this match.

Much like their opponents, Paraguay are in a difficult run of form heading into the competition as they have managed just one victory in their previous six outings.

That came in a 1-0 win over Bolivia, with Antonio Sanabria scoring the only goal not only of that match, but of their past six matches together which is a focal point for Daniel Garnero.

The Paraguay boss was unable to push his attacking players to find their shooting boots during their most recent outing against Peru where they played out a goalless draw.

Chile friendly form:

Chile form (all competitions):

Paraguay friendly form:

Paraguay form (all competitions):

Team News

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Alexis Sanchez became Chile’s record cap holder during the recent defeat against France, and the experienced attacking midfielder should find himself in the starting lineup for this match.

Eduardo Vargas will be ahead of him leading the line, while at the other end of the field, Claudio Bravo has established himself as the number one.

Alex Arce started upfront for Paraguay in their most recent outing, getting his first international cap, and there will be some pressure on him to find his shooting boots due to their recent struggles in front of goal.

Newcastle United’s Miguel Almiron will be providing some width for the visitors, with Ramon Sosa likely taking up the position on the other side.

Chile possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Isla, Diaz, Lichnovsky, Suazo; Echeverria, Nunez; Osorio, Alexis, Davila; Vargas

Paraguay possible starting lineup:
Coronel; Ramirez, Gomez, Balbuena, Espinoza; Cubas, Villasanti; Rojas, Sanchez, Almiron; Arce

We say: Chile 0-0 Paraguay

With the Copa America being so close it is likely that both teams will be cautious in this match due to the potential risks that any injuries could pose.

That, coupled with the fact that both have been struggling to find the back of the net lately could see them play out a goalless draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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