🔊 Will captain James Rodriguez lead his team to the upcoming World Cup? The Colombian national team, currently sitting in sixth place in the qualifying standings, are set to host Peru at the Estadio Metropolitano. Despite a challenging campaign, Peru are still clinging to hopes of reaching the World Cup, even if it means going through the playoffs. What are the visitors' chances—and do they have any at all? Let's delve into the latest news and current form of both teams to make an insightful prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 Over 17 head-to-head encounters, Colombia hold a clear advantage with nine wins compared to Peru's three, while five matches ended in draws. The most recent clash took place on September 7 at the "Monumental" Stadium in Peru during the seventh round of the first qualifying phase. The teams exchanged goals and settled for a draw: Alexander Callens scored first, followed by an equalizer from Luis Diaz – resulting in a 1-1 scoreline.

Colombia Team Overview

🟡 Néstor Lorenzo's squad currently sit in 6th place with 20 points, having secured 5 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses. A victory over Peru could propel the Colombians higher up the table, bringing them within touching distance of second place, currently held by Ecuador with 23 points. It's also worth noting that they have a comfortable 5-point cushion over seventh-placed Venezuela. However, there's no room for complacency with three crucial fixtures ahead against Argentina, Bolivia, and Venezuela, making it imperative not to drop points now.

🔵 Moreover, Colombia's recent run of form is far from encouraging—they are winless in their last four matches, losing three of them. In the spring qualifiers, "Los Cafeteros" first fell to Brazil (1-2) and then dropped points in a home draw with Paraguay (2-2). Luis Díaz found the net in both encounters.

Peru Team Overview

⚪ The "Incas" currently sit ninth in the qualifying tournament, having accumulated 10 points from 14 matches: 2 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses. They trail the seventh spot, which offers a chance for a World Cup play-off berth, by 5 points. It's difficult to gauge the hopes of the players and fans, especially considering the "White and Reds" have only scored 6 goals throughout the tournament—the fewest among all teams.

🔴 The spring fixtures concluded with mixed results: in their first match at the Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru defeated Bolivia with goals from Andy Polo, Jose Paolo Guerrero, and Edison Flores (3-1). In the second match, away in Venezuela, the "Incas" suffered a narrow defeat (0-1). Following their upcoming game against Colombia, Peru will have three more matches remaining—against Ecuador, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Latest news

Colombia

🔝 We can't overlook the standout figures of the national team—Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez, who have collectively been involved in numerous goals. Diaz is in a tight race with Leo Messi for the tournament's top scorer title, boasting 6 goals and 1 assist. Team captain James Rodriguez leads the assist chart with 5 assists and has added 2 goals to his tally.

❌ Attacking midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero, along with forwards Jhon Cordoba and Rafael Borre, will miss Colombia's upcoming matches due to injuries.

Peru

🎙 Head coach Oscar Ibañez emphasized during a press conference, "We're in a situation where we urgently need results. We know we have to pick up points in every match to close the gap and catch up with those above us. This isn't the time for speculation."

❌ Boca Juniors' right-back Luis Advíncula might miss the match due to a knee injury.

⚽ Goal Prediction

⚽ Goal Prediction

Given Peru's struggles in attack, with only 6 goals scored throughout the tournament, averaging just 0.4 goals per game, and considering their upcoming away fixture, we won't delve too deeply into analysis. Instead, we suggest a straightforward bet: Peru will not score.

🚩 Corner Prediction

In their first encounter, Colombia had a significant advantage in corners, with 10 to Peru's 5. On average, Néstor Lorenzo's side delivers 4.8 corners per game, while Óscar Ibáñez's team manages only 2.5 corner kicks. For those interested in such bets, an intriguing option would be Colombia to win on corners with a -3 handicap.

Throughout the qualifiers, Colombia have only lost once on home turf—narrowly to Ecuador in November. While their last four matches have been lackluster, they now have a prime opportunity to defeat a struggling Peru at home and take another step toward qualifying for the World Cup. Peru have not only struggled to score but have also conceded heavily—17 goals, averaging 1.2 per game, which is the third-worst among all teams. Colombia, on the other hand, have scored the majority of their goals at home—13 out of 18, averaging 1.9 per match. Considering these stats, we suggest a bet: Colombia's individual total over 1.5 goals. A likely outcome appears to be a home victory with a scoreline of 2-0.