David Flower
Dailysports's expert
One of the qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup will be played on Friday in Lima, where Peru will host Bolivia. I suggest betting on goals in this match with good chances of winning.
Match preview
The Peruvian national team is experiencing one of its most challenging downturns in the past decade. After a bright appearance at the 2018 World Cup, where the team showcased quality football, it seemed that the "Incas" could establish themselves among the continent's top teams. However, a few years later, the situation has changed drastically. In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Peruvians failed to make it to the World Cup, and the current qualifying cycle is turning out to be catastrophic.
The team is at the bottom of the standings, lagging behind even those who were previously considered absolute underdogs. The main problem is a glaring inefficiency in attack. Over 12 rounds, the "Blanquirrojas" have managed to score only three times – the worst record among all the qualifiers. This loss of scoring ability has severely affected their results, and after 12 matches, the team has only seven points: one win, four draws, and eight losses.
The Bolivian national team, known as "La Verde," continues to fight for a spot in the World Cup despite its position in the lower half of the standings. A recent draw lifted the team to seventh place, which formally keeps their hopes alive for a World Cup berth. However, these hopes seem more theoretical, considering the instability of results and evident problems in their play.
Traditionally, "La Verde" uses its unique geographical conditions to turn home matches into a significant challenge for opponents. However, outside of La Paz, the Bolivians significantly lose their strength. Away matches remain their weak point – the lack of victories and frequent losses significantly reduce the team's chances for a successful qualification campaign.
Probable lineups
- Peru: Gallese, Abram, Zambrano, Araujo, Cayenne, Peña, Castillo, Sonne, Polo, Flores, Valera
- Bolivia: Viscarra – Sagredo, Suarez, Quine, Medina – Vaca, Villamil, Fernandez, Cuellar, Mateus – Algaranaz
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first leg, Bolivia defeated the opponent at home 2-0
- Peru has defeated Bolivia in the last three home matches
- The "Under 2.5" bet has won in three out of five matches
Prediction
Bookmakers are fully backing the Peruvian national team and offer odds of 1.45 for a home win. Given the attacking problems of both teams, we suggest taking the "Under 2.5" total with odds of 1.82.
