Brazil vs Paraguay: will Brazil secure their first victory under Carlo Ancelotti?
The Brazilian national team faces Paraguay in the 16th round of World Cup qualifying. The match will take place in the early hours of Wednesday, June 11, kicking off at 2:45 a.m. Central European Time. I have a betting tip for this game.
Brazil vs Paraguay: match preview
Brazil opted for a coaching change after a crushing 1-4 defeat to Argentina. The new boss—legendary Carlo Ancelotti—has already made his debut at the helm of the national team. In his first match, Brazil played out a 0-0 draw away against Ecuador. Despite the setback, the Seleção still sit fourth in the South American qualifying table, boasting 22 points from 15 rounds. Their lead over eighth place is eight points. With three rounds to go, a win over Paraguay would secure Brazil’s spot at the 2026 World Cup ahead of schedule.
Paraguay, meanwhile, look even more confident. The team is on a nine-match unbeaten streak, claiming victory in five of those games. Their latest triumph came on June 6, when they defeated Uruguay 2-0 at home. That win officially booked Paraguay’s ticket to the World Cup. With three qualifiers left, they hold a ten-point cushion over eighth place. Even if they lose all three remaining matches, Paraguay cannot be knocked out of the finals.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Paraguay are unbeaten in nine matches: four draws and five wins.
- Brazil have just one win in their last five outings: three draws and one defeat.
- Paraguay have scored in six consecutive games, netting twice in five of them.
- In their last meeting, Paraguay edged Brazil 1-0. However, prior to that, they hadn’t beaten the Brazilians in six matches.
Probable lineups
- Brazil: Alisson; Vanderson, Marquinhos, Ribeiro, Sandro; Guimarães, Casemiro, Gerson; Antony, Cunha, Vinicius
- Paraguay: Fernandez; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; D. Gomez, Cubas, Galarza, Enciso; Almiron, Sanabria
Prediction
Brazil are playing at home and have yet to secure their World Cup berth. I expect the team to go all out against a Paraguay side with nothing left to play for. My pick: Brazil individual total over 1.5 goals at odds of 1.62.
