Uruguay and Paraguay will round off their 2021 Copa America group-stage campaign with a clash in Rio de Janeiro on Monday night, and both sides have already advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Paraguay have picked up six points from their three matches at the competition to sit second in Group B, while Uruguay currently occupy fourth, two points behind their opponents in this match.

Match preview

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Uruguay have had a mixed time in Group B, opening their tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Argentina before sharing the points against Chile, which put them under pressure ahead of their clash with Bolivia on June 24.

The Sky Blues managed to pick up an important three points in Cuiaba courtesy of a 2-0 success, though, with an own goal from Jairo Quinteros and a late Edinson Cavani effort providing to be the difference between the two sides at the end of the 90 minutes.

Uruguay, as mentioned, are though to the knockout round despite the fact that they are fourth in the section and would actually finish in second with a victory in this match.

Oscar Tabarez's side will certainly want to avoid finishing fourth in Group A, as that position would see them take on Group B winners Brazil in the quarter-finals of the competition in Rio de Janeiro.

Uruguay - the most successful team in the history of the Copa America with 15 trophies - last won this competition in 2011 but have fallen at the quarter-final stage in two of their last three participations and will be determined to advance deeper into the tournament on this occasion.

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Paraguay, as mentioned, are currently in charge of second position in Group A, and they have certainly impressed this summer, picking up six points from three matches to sit second behind Argentina.

The White and Reds opened their tournament with a 3-1 win over Bolivia but were then pegged back by Argentina in their second match, suffering a 1-0 loss courtesy of an effort from Alejandro Gomez.

Eduardo Berizzo's side managed to return to winning ways in impressive fashion last time out, though, as Miguel Almiron both scored and provided an assist in a 2-0 victory over Chile, which secured their spot in the knockout round.

Paraguay last won the Copa America in 1979 but were the runners-up in 2011 and finished fourth in 2015, showing that they are capable of advancing into the final stages of the competition.

Los Guaranies can actually still finish first in Group A, although that scenario would rely on them picking up all three points here and hoping that Argentina fail to overcome already-eliminated Bolivia.

Team News

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Uruguay have no fresh injury concerns heading into the contest, but it would not be a surprise to see Tabarez make alterations, with a spot in the next round of the competition already secure.

Cavani could be handed a rest in the final third of the field, while it seems likely that veteran defender Diego Godin will be taken out of the first XI, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Maxi Gomez, Lucas Torreira and Sebastian Coates coming in for starts.

Luis Suarez could again feature in an attacking position, though, and there should be another spot for Nicolas De La Cruz, who has allegedly attracted the attention of Manchester United with his displays this summer.

Martin Caceres is also among those hoping to earn some minutes, and the experienced defender could ultimately be handed a spot on the right side of the back four.

Paraguay, meanwhile, also have no injury concerns heading into the contest, but there are expected to be changes to the side that started against Chile.

Angel Romero and Alejandro Romero are both in line for spots in the final third of the field, while there could be a spot in the middle of the back four for Fabian Balbuena.

Almiron was excellent against Chile and could start once again before potentially being substituted in the second half, while Carlos Gonzalez might again get the nod in the centre-forward spot for the White and Reds.

Uruguay possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Caceres, Gimenez, Coates, Gonzalez; Torreira, Bentancur, De La Cruz, Torres; Suarez, Gomez

Paraguay possible starting lineup:
Silva; Espinola, Balbuena, Alonso, Arzamendia; Villasanti, Lucena; Angel Romero, Almiron, Alejandro Romero; Gonzalez

We say: Uruguay 2-1 Paraguay

Paraguay deserve respect for their performances this summer, but Uruguay have a lot of quality and are capable of pulling off a big performance to claim all three points, which would see them move above Paraguay and Chile and have a chance of finishing above Argentina at the summit.

Written by
Matt Law

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