Argentina vs Paraguay highlights, ARG 1-0 PAR, FIFA WC qualifiers: Otamendi goal gives narrow win to Albiceleste

Otamendi’s 3rd-minute goal enough as Argentina edges a 1-0 win against Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Albiceleste plays Peru next.

Argentina subs: IN- Ocampos, Lo Celso OUT- Nico Gonzalez, De Paul

Messi almost scores from his freekick as the ball hits the post and comes back into play. Coronel was completely wrong-footed and was a spectator as the ball hit the woodwork.

Messi does well to keep the ball and earns a foul right outside the box as Gomez tackles him from behind. Any guesses who’s taking it?

Four minutes added after the end of the second-half!

Nico Gonzalez flashes a shot across the face of goal. The ball takes a deflection off Rojas and goes out for a corner. Gonzalez has been wasteful today.

Lautaro has the chance to finish a wonderful passing move from Argentina, but his shot goes above the woodwork.

Argentina sub: IN- Paredes OUT- Enzo

Paraguay sub: IN- Villalba OUT- Alonso

Messi’s inswinging cross from a corner keeps bending in and the rattles the crossbar. Coronek tried to get a hand to it but could not. That would have been some goal but not to be for the Argentine captain as of now.

A sad end for Junior Alonso as he is carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

Messi makes a run with the ball and tries to attempt a cross from the right. His cross is cut out and Argentina gets a corner.

Junior Alonso, already on a yellow card, makes a reckless challenge on Molina. He is living on the edge as that could very well by a second yellow.

Paraguay subs: IN- Ojeda, Sanbria OUT- Campuzano, Bareiro

Argentina with a patient buildup, which involved a long spell of possession. It ends with Mac Allister lobbing the ball to De Paul, who was inside the box. De Paul shoots but Coronel makes the save.

Bareiro does well to snatch the ball from Messi. Paraguay looks to start an attack but Nico Gonzalez’s recovery challenge is brilliant.

Nico Gonzalez shows intent to keep the ball as he makes his way inside the box. His final ball, intended for Messi is a bit short as Paraguay’s backline clears it for a corner.

Paraguay’s football is sharper from that of the first-half. Argentina’s intensity seems to have dropped a notch. Holding on a one-goal lead is surely a dangerous way to go about things.

Messi with his first proper sight at goal as he aims to shoot from distance. But he is closed down before he can take the shot.

Argentina sub: IN- Messi OUT- Alvarez

Almiron finds Sosa with a good through ball as the latter makes a run at goal. He shoots at the far-post and Martinez gets the slighest of touches to divert the ball out for a corner.

We just saw a chat between Scaloni and Messi. Is the Argentina captain ready to come on. The Monumental is certainly excited. Chants of ‘Messi Messi’ reverberates across the arena.

Argentina leads Paraguay 1-0 courtesy of Otamendi’s goal in the third minute as the second-half gets underway.

Half-time sub by Paraguay: IN- Rojas OUT- Ramirez

Otamendi’s brilliant finish in the 3rd minute keeps Argentina in a 1-0 lead against Paraguay at half-time.

One minute added at the end of the first-half!

Nico Gonzalez wastes yet another chance. Enzo does well to spot Nico in space on the left side of the box. Nico, who has all the time and space to shoot, goes for the far-corner, but misses the target.

Alvarez shows good feet by keeping the ball under pressure and the sends the ball to De Paul. De Paul takes a touch and pulls the trigger from distance. He is inches away from scoring as the ball rattles the woodwork and comes back into play.

De Paul has another chance to shoot at goal, albeit from a further distance. He goes for a curling effort, but this time, his shot is nowhere near the target.

Nico Gonzalez with an excellent chance to double Argentina’s lead. He finds himself in space as he gets the ball and runs at goal. He has enough time to shoot once inside the box, but tries to do too much by cutting in, which causes him to lose the ball.

Molina crosses the ball towards Gonalez from the right. Gonzalez leaps and gets his header away but Coronel makes a good save to keep out the effort.

Mac Allister goes for a first-time shot as De Paul swings a cross towards him from a corner. But Mac Allister cannot make a decent connection as he loses the ball. But gets the ball again as he tries to wriggle his way inside the box, but he is crowded out.

Gonzalez tries a cross from the left but Ramirez is there to make the block. He has been one of Paraguay’s better players in the first-half.

De Paul takes a shot from distance, but it is saved comfortably by Coronel.

This is lovely football from Argentina. Lautaro sends the ball to Alvarez with the deftest of touches. Alvarez returns the favour by finding Lautaro inside the box with a cutback. The Inter Milan forward goes for a first-time shot, but it takes a deflection and goes out for a corner.

The replay shows that Lautaro was offside so even if he found the target, it would not have mattered.

Lautaro is played a brilliant through ball by De Paul inside the box. Lautaro delays his shot, which allows the defender to close in. In the end it is a weak effort.

Lautaro releases the ball for Alvarez, who makes a dangerous run from the left. Once inside the box, he shoots from a tight angle and earns a corner for Argentina.

Enzo Fernandez swings a cross inside the box from the freekick. The ball goes to Lautaro, who tries to head the ball towards goal, but cannot get a good connection.

Booking: Paraguay’s Alonso sees a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Mac Allister.

Scaloni’s men build a fluid attacking move, which finds Nico Gonzalez with space on the left. He tries to cross into the box but sees his effort blocked by Ivan Ramirez to concede a corner.

Tagliafico tries to thread a through ball to Nico Gonzalez but the latter was in an offside position when the pass was played.

It has been all Argentina inside the opening 10 minutes of the match as Scaloni’s men have choked Paraguay in all departments. Right now, there seems to be midfield battle, which Argentina is clearly winning.

Booking: Enzo Fernandez is the first player to get booked as he sees a yellow card.

The goal comes after a corner conceded by Fabian Balbuena. De Paul delivers an accurate cross to Otamendi on the far-post, who meets the ball with a brilliant first-time volley to find the net. That was some finish.

The first-half between Argentina and Paraguay has kicked-off at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

“For him, one more training session is important and I will talk to him to decide whether he plays or not, but I have to talk to him first and above all I have to be sure that he can start.”

“We have another game in four days against Peru and it is not so easy to define if he is available, the important thing is that he feels comfortable. What leaves us calm is that if he is not fit, whoever replaces him will do just as well.”

​​

Messi starts on bench for Argentina against Paraguay in FIFA World Cup qualifier match

Argentina captain Lionel Messi starts on the bench against Paraguay in his team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Paraguay at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Played: 110

Argentina wins: 59

Draws: 35

Paraguay wins: 16

Reigning world champion Argentina will face Paraguay in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday.

The Argentina national football team comes into the match on the back of its 3-0 win over Bolivia and an earlier 1-0 victory over Ecuador in September.

The Albiceleste are placed second in the table just below Brazil, and are on a six-match winning run in all competitions.

Will Messi play against Paraguay?

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is still a doubt for the World Cup qualifier against Paraguay, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Wednesday.

Messi was included in the world champion’ squad despite being sidelined by the muscle problem he sustained a month ago, which has kept him out of action for his U.S. side Inter Miami.

Scaloni said the 36-year-old forward had been training well ahead of the match on Thursday.

Read full report HERE

Messi might not play FIFA World Cup qualifier vs Paraguay due to muscle injury: coach Scaloni

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is still a doubt for the World Cup qualifier against Paraguay. He has been sidelined in the Inter Miami squad due to his muscle problem since a month.

-inputs from Reuters

Streaming/telecast information

When will the FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Argentina and Paraguay start?

The FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Argentina and Paraguay will kick-off at 4:30am IST in the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday, October 13.

Where can I watch FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Argentina and Paraguay match live in India?

The FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Argentina and Paraguay will be live streamed on FIFA+ website and app.

There is no live telecast for the match in India.