Argentina vs Bolivia prediction: SOUTH AMERICA: World Championship – Qualification betting tips on match 2024-10-15 00:00.
[p]Lionel Messi’s return to the Argentina squad wasn’t enough to see them over the line against Venezuela, with their 1-1 draw meaning that they’ve dropped eight points across the last five FIFA World Cup qualification rounds (W2, D1, L2). Fortunately, the failings of others mean that the reigning world champions retain their lead at the top of the CONMEBOL table ahead of the upcoming set of fixtures. [/p]
[p]Manager Lionel Scaloni will expect to get back to winning ways here against Bolivia, as against no other nation has he got a more comprehensive 100% winning H2H record against (W4). That indomitable record is complemented by Argentina’s strong return across their last 17 World Cup home qualifiers (W11, D5, L1), a run which has seen Argentina keep clean sheets in all their victories during that sequence and also in nine of their last ten such games. [/p]
[p]Currently in contention for a first World Cup appearance since 1994, Bolivia travel to Buenos Aires with supreme confidence, having picked up 12 of the last 15 available points (W4, L1). Their latest win over Colombia (1-0) was indeed impressive, but not playing in the heady heights of their home country often proves to be a hindrance for La Verde, who have beaten Argentina five times, albeit in La Paz on every such occasion. [/p]
[p]Bolivia have won their last three home qualifiers without conceding, but while they emerged victorious from their latest away match in Chile, that served to end what was an awful 51-game winless run of World Cup qualifiers on the road in the 21st century (D7, L44). Ten of the last 11 defeats in that far-reaching sequence also saw them concede at least three times, meaning that they must attempt to overcome double-figure betting odds once again.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: While his primary objective will be defending, Argentina’s Nicolás Otamendi has recently shown himself to be a viable threat going forward, with four goal contributions across his last six matches for club and country (G2, A2), including the opener against Venezuela. He’ll attempt to marshall the likes of Bolivia’s Carmelo Algarañaz, who has doubled his international tally to four goals with two first-half strikes across his last three caps.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Bolivia have conceded in the opening 30 minutes in seven of their last ten away World Cup qualifiers. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]