Uruguay vs Peru
Uruguay’s run at the 2019 Copa America ended in heartbreaking fashion in the quarter-finals as they lost a penalty shoot-out to Peru, who then went on to lose in the final to Brazil.
Luis Suarez infamously missed the opening penalty, which proved crucial as all five Peruvians converted theirs.
However, the Barcelona star will not be available to redeem himself in their upcoming international friendly matches against Peru. He and fellow strike partner Edinson Cavani will both miss out due to fitness issues.
But even without their superstar strikers, the international friendly 2019 odds still favour Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez’s side to come out on top at home.
Talking Points
Uruguay missing star strikers
The big international friendly 2019 news for Uruguay is that they will once again be without their two-star strikers, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. The two were also missing in La Celeste’s last two friendlies last month against Costa Rica and the United States.
They just barely defeated Costa Rica 2-1 thanks to a 90th-minute winner from Jonathan Rodriguez and drew 1-1 against the US.
Not having Suarez — who will stay in Barcelona to get treatment over the international break — will obviously be a huge blow to La Celeste. The 32-year-old has been in fine form for Barca of late, scoring some sensational goals in recent wins over Inter and Sevilla.
Either Rodriguez or Valencia’s Maxi Gomez will most likely lead the attack for Uruguay against Peru in place of Suarez.
Gomez has made a bright start to the season in Spain, scoring four times in his first seven matches. He found the net in Valencia’s recent 2-1 win over Alaves.
Teenager Brian Rodriguez will also be an option off the bench. The 19-year-old scored his first international goal in their draw against the US.
But while Uruguay are a bit short of options in attack, their midfield remains quite strong. Inter’s Matias Vecino and Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur are both likely to feature in the centre of midfield.
Meanwhile, Fede Valverde could keep his place as the team’s holding midfielder over Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira after his impressive performances for Real Madrid.
Valverde, who played all 90 minutes in Uruguay’s draw against the United States, also played the entire game and recorded an assist in Real’s recent 4-2 win over Granada.
Paolo Guerrero returns for Peru
Peru had quite a topsy-turvy two games during the previous international break. They lost 1-0 to Ecuador, but they bounced right back to defeat Brazil 1-0 thanks to a late winner from Luis Abram.
Peru played both matches without star striker and captain Paolo Guerrero, who missed out in order to play for club Internacional in the semi-finals and final of the Copa do Brasil. But the 35-year-old is set to make his return for the matches against Uruguay.
Guerrero is Peru’s all-time top goalscorer with 38 goals in 99 appearances and was the co-leading scorer with three goals in this year’s Copa America. He’s also had a strong season in Brazil, scoring 10 goals in 23 appearances.
Guerrero’s return should be a huge boost for Peru, who started Raul Ruidiaz as the lone striker in both of their most recent friendlies against Ecuador and Brazil. But the 29-year-old has just not done it for his country, scoring only four times in 42 appearances.
But while Guerrero has returned to the fold for Peru, fellow veteran striker Jefferson Farfan, as well as midfielder Yoshimar Yotun, are not part of the squad due to injury. Midfielder Alejandro Hohberg and Gabriel Costa have been called up in their place.
History
Uruguay have historically dominated their matchup against Peru. La Celeste have won 37 of their 67 matches all-time, with Peru winning just 17 with 13 draws.
However, Peru have come out on top in their recent matchups. Prior to their penalty shoot-out win earlier this year, they also won a World Cup qualifier at home, 2-1. Guerrero and Edison Flores got on the scoresheet in the win.
Betting Tip
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Uruguay vs Peru | Uruguay 1X2 @ 1.90 |
| October 12, 07:00 (GMT+8) |
SBOBET odds still expect Uruguay to win despite not having either Suarez or Cavani. They are 1.90 favourites on the 1X2 market, with Peru priced at 4.00 and a draw at 3.30.
I also expect Uruguay to emerge victorious against Peru. Despite some uncertainty upfront, they still possess a ton of quality in midfield and defence. The added advantage of being in front of their home fans should be enough to inspire them to victory.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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