Colombia will be aiming to return to winning ways in their World Cup 2022 qualification section when they take on Peru at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez on Friday.
The home side, who have only won three of their 14 fixtures in the section, are currently fourth in their South American qualification group, level on points with fifth-placed Peru.
Match preview
© Reuters
Colombia have won three, drawn eight and lost three of their 14 qualification matches to collect 17 points, which has left them fourth in the section, six points behind third-placed Ecuador and level on points with fifth-placed Peru ahead of Friday's clash between the two sides.
La Tricolor have actually drawn four of their last five qualification fixtures 0-0, in addition to suffering a 1-0 defeat to Brazil back in November, so they have not been victorious since recording a 3-1 victory over Chile in September.
As it stands, Reinaldo Rueda's side are in a qualification position, but they are actually only two points clear of eighth-placed Bolivia, and the fact that they have only won three of their 14 qualification matches thus far is a concern.
Colombia have been present in the finals of the last two World Cups, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2014 tournament before making the round of 16 four years later.
The Tricolors should also enter this match full of confidence considering that they have only lost once to Peru since July 2011 and have been victorious in four of the last five games between the two sides.
© Reuters
Peru, meanwhile, have won their last two World Cup qualification fixtures, beating Bolivia 3-0 before recording a 2-1 victory over Venezuela in their two matches back in November.
The White and Reds are firmly in the picture for a top-four finish at this stage, boasting 17 points from 14 matches, which has left them in fifth position in the table heading into Friday's contest.
Ricardo Gareca's side would go above Colombia with a win in this match, and the fact that they have picked up nine points from the last 15 available should mean that confidence is high in the camp.
Peru have been present in the finals of a World Cup on five previous occasions, with their best performance in the competition coming back in 1970, when they reached the quarter-finals.
La Blanquirroja also qualified for the 2018 edition of the tournament, exiting in the group stage, having lost two of their three matches to finish third in Group C behind France and Denmark.
- W
- D
- D
- D
- L
- D
- D
- D
- D
- L
- D
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- W
- W
- L
- L
- W
- W
- D
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Colombia's starting XI will again include a number of familiar faces, with Juan Cuadrado, Davinson Sanchez, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Radamel Falcao all in line to start.
Diaz is enjoying an impressive season for Porto, which has led to suggestions of Premier League interest, and the 25-year-old is expected to line up in a left-sided midfield area, with Falcao potentially being joined by Miguel Borja in the final third of the field.
Head coach Rueda has decisions to make in central midfield, where there are a number of options, but Wilmar Barrios could ultimately get the nod alongside Gustavo Cuellar.
As for Peru, the starting XI is expected to be similar to the one that took to the field for the first whistle against Venezuela in their last qualifier back in November.
A 4-5-1 formation should see Gianluca Lapadula lead the line, with the 31-year-old looking to add to his five international goals, while an experienced midfield is likely to include Yoshimar Yotun and Christian Cueva.
Pedro Gallese will again captain the team from the goalkeeping position, while Luis Advincula and Miguel Trauco are likely to line up in the full-back positions for the visitors.
Colombia possible starting lineup:
Ospina; Cuadrado, Sanchez, Tesillo, Mojica; Rodriguez, Cuellar, Barrios, Diaz; Borja, Falcao
Peru possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Advincula, Zambrano, Abram, Trauco; Carrillo, Pena, Tapia, Yotun, Cueva; Lapadula
We say: Colombia 2-1 Peru
Peru will fancy their chances of picking up a positive result here considering their recent performances, but it is difficult to back against Colombia in this contest. The home side have had their issues in the section but should have enough quality to secure all three points on their return to qualification action.
Top tip
Matt Law
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Colombia win with a probability of 53.72%. A draw had a probability of 26.6% and a win for Peru had a probability of 19.7%.
The most likely scoreline for a Colombia win was 1-0 with a probability of 15.61%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.46%) and 2-1 (8.86%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.06%), while for a Peru win it was 0-1 (8.21%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with an 8.2% likelihood.
Argentina
Uruguay
Ecuador
Colombia
Brazil
Paraguay
Bolivia
Venezuela
Chile
Peru
