Brazil vs Paraguay – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Prediction | WCQ 2022

Thiago Silva Brazil player during a match against Peru-Copa America 2021
Thiago Silva Brazil player during a match against Peru-Copa America 2021 - IMAGO / NurPhoto

Brazil will welcome Paraguay to Belo Horizonte this Wednesday for the 16th round of their World Cup qualifier campaign. 

Venue: Mineirão (Belo Horizonte)

Key Statistics

Brazil are unbeaten in the current WCQ campaign (W11, D3).

They have kept three clean sheets from their last five games.

The hosts have scored 28 goals and conceded just five goals in 14 WCQ games. No side has scored more or conceded fewer goals than they have.

Paraguay have scored only nine goals in this WCQ campaign – no side has scored fewer goals in the CONMEBOL group.

They are winless in their last six WCQ games (D2, L4).

They have failed to score in their last six WCQ games. 

Head to head

There have been 82 meetings between both sides with Brazil winning 50 of those games while Paraguay have won just 13 times. There have been 19 draws between the two sides. 

Latest performances in all competitions

Brazil: D-D-W-W-D

Paraguay: L-D-L-L-L

Brazil 

Brazil will look to continue their impressive run in the World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ) when they welcome Paraguay to Belo Horizonte on Wednesday.

The hosts come into this tie fresh from a 1-1 draw with Ecuador. In a feisty encounter that saw both teams reduced to ten men and then a 97th-minute penalty against Brazil overturned by VAR, the five-time world winners were lucky to keep their unbeaten WCQ record intact. 

They can become the first side to go unbeaten in a CONMEBOL-zone WCQ cycle under the 18-game format if they can remain unbeaten in the four remaining games in the group stages.

At least Tite’s men will fancy their chances of extending their unbeaten run in this game given that they boast a perfect record (W6) at home in this qualifier campaign. 

Their success at home has been built on an almost watertight back-line, with the ‘Seleção’ conceding just once on home soil in this WCQ cycle while winning four of their six games by a 2+ goal margin.

Possible Brazil starting line-ups

Ederson; Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Alex Sandro; Fred, Casemiro; Antony, Philippe Coutinho, Vinicius Junior; Gabriel Jesus.

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Emerson Royal, Eder Militao

Paraguay

Paraguay’s woeful run in the WCQ continued with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay last time out. A goal from legendary striker Luis Suarez condemned the visitors to their sixth loss of this WCQ campaign (W2, D7), leaving them sitting in ninth place.

With 13 points to their name, Eduardo Berizzo’s men are currently six points behind Uruguay who are occupying the playoffs spot. 

Unless they can win all their remaining four qualifier games, they stand no chance of playing in the World Cup. And even that is not enough to guarantee them a place in the tournament as the teams above will need to win drop points.

Meanwhile, ‘Los Guaraníes’ have scored the fewest goals in this qualifying group. Away from home, they have scored just two goals, highlighting how poor they have been. In fact, they have played 584 minutes of WCQ football without scoring. The last time they scored was way back in September 2021 against bottom-placed Venezuela, who are the only team Paraguay have beaten so far. 

Possible Paraguay starting line-ups

Antony Silva; Juan Escobar, David Martinez, Junior Alonso, Santiago Arzamendia; Braian Ojeda, Mathias Villasanti, Richard Sanchez, Miguel Almiron; Carlos Gonzalez, Antonio Sanabria.

Injured: Omar Alderete

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Matias Rojas, Gustavo Gomez.

Prediction

Brazil 2-1 Paraguay