Argentina travel to Asunción to face Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, and will still be smarting from the stunning 2-0 defeat to Ecuador that marked the start of their Russia 2018 campaign. Two goals in two minutes sunk Tata Martino’s outfit on Thursday, though they struggled to match the intensity of their visitors for the entire match. It also doesn’t help that they’re currently without Lionel Messi, who is sidelined for a couple of months with a knee injury.
Argentina vs. Paraguay live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup qualifying online
After a shock defeat to Ecuador last week, Argentina will hope to avoid another upset at the hands of Paraguay on Tuesday.
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They’ll certainly be hoping the defeat to Ecuador was nothing more than a wake-up call, though Paraguay will fancy their chances of causing another upset. They started their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win away in Venezuela, and have qualified for the World Cup eight times in their history. Of the CONMEBOL sides, only Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have reached the finals more often.
Upset potential: Medium
Argentina had insult added to injury -- or rather injury added to injury -- in their defeat to Ecuador last week, with Sergio Agüero having to leave the field with a hamstring problem. He's now likely to be out for a month, and he leaves his side considerably weaker in attack. That, combined with Argentina's poor form, means there's a pretty good chance we'll see an upset.
Recent history
However, Argentina can take hope from the history books. They thrashed Paraguay 6-1 when these sides met in the Copa América in the summer, and have won four of their last five meetings in all competitions. You have to go back to a World Cup qualifier in 2009 for the last time Argentina were beaten, when such luminaries as Gabriel Heinze, Javier Zanetti and Juan Sebastián Verón were regulars in Diego Maradona’s lineup.
Match Date/Time: Tues., 8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay
TV: beIN Sports (US and Canada)
Online: Fubo TV (US), beIN Sports Connect, (US and Canada)
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