The Argentine national team completed their last training session before heading to Paraguay to play the eleventh round of the South American Qualifiers. In training, head coach Lionel Scaloni decided to repeat the same starting eleven that defeated Bolivia 6-0, with the exception of the goalkeeper. Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez will take over the goal instead of Gerónimo Rulli, after serving his two-match suspension.
In the forward position, Lionel Messi will be accompanied by Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, who was the only doubt in the lineup. The defense will consist of Nicolás Tagliafico, Cristian 'Cuti' Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, and Nahuel Molina, while the midfield will feature Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, and Rodrigo de Paul.
This lineup is similar to the team Scaloni chose for the final against France, with the only variation being the inclusion of Lautaro Martínez instead of Ángel Di María. The Albiceleste leads the South American Qualifiers with 22 points, three more than Colombia, their closest challenger.
In their last participation, Argentina drew 1-1 against Venezuela and then crushed Bolivia 6-0. On the other hand, Paraguay occupies sixth place with 13 points and is in the zone for direct qualification to the World Cup. The last time Paraguay participated in a World Cup was in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals.
The Argentine delegation will travel in the coming hours to Paraguay, where they will face off this Thursday at 8:30 PM at the Defensores del Chaco stadium, with a capacity of 42,354 spectators.
