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Argentina were held to a goalless draw by Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier. In a largely one-sided game, the visitors rued missing a couple of clear-cut opportunities in the first half.
Argentina kicked off the game with great intensity in Asuncion. But they missed Lautaro Martinez, who was ruled out of the game with a muscle strain. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi had a quiet outing, and did not offer much of a threat.
Angel Di Maria and Joaquin Correa squandered early chances, though. Di Maria's shot from inside the box was off target, while Correa's tame shot was easily saved by Antony Silva.
Paraguay had a few decent efforts in the second half, which were saved by Emi Martinez. The draw means Argentina remain unbeaten in the qualifiers. On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Without a proper striker Argentina struggled to finish off attacks
Argentina's struggles in the final third were not particularly apparent on the night. That's because they were able to get the ball into the final third quite easily, especially in the first half. They fashioned some solid chances as well before the break, but they rued the absence of a target man inside the box.
While Correa starts as a striker for Inter Milan, he is not as good a finisher as Lautaro Martinez. Martinez has been in great form with Inter, scoring five goals in six league outings. So his injury came as a huge blow to Argentina, especially against a physical side like Paraguay.
#4 Paraguay's physical game frustrated the visitors
Paraguay were second-best for most of the game, and lagged Argentina in every key stat in the game. They had just 30% of possession, could only record three shots on target, and were also awarded just three corners in the game.
Against Argentina, the only thing that seemed to work for them was their physical approach to the game. They committed tactical fouls to torment their opponents physically.
Overall, 29 fouls were committed in the game, with the hosts accounting for 20 of them.
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#3 Argentina and Paraguay play yet another draw
The game between Argentina and Paraguay ended goalless, which marked another low-scoring affair between the two sides. Of the last six meetings between the two sides, four have ended in draws, two goalless and as many 1-1 draws.
Paraguay have found it difficult to find the back of the net in competitive fixtures recently. With nine goals, they are currently the team with the second-worst attacking stats in the ongoing South American qualifiers.
With the spoils getting shared on the day, Argentina and Paraguay have now drawn 11 World Cup qualifiers, the most in the competition's history.
#2 Argentina fail to find the back of the net for the first time since 2019
Argentina have been unbeaten in their last 23 outings, but failed to score on the night. It marked the first time since September 2019 that they had failed to find the back of the net, including friendlies.
Argentina might be a bit concerned at the moment, as they have played three draws in their last five games. If their attacking output doesn't pick up, their unbeaten run might draw to a close.
They take on Uruguay on Sunday, who also have three draws and two wins from their last five outings. With Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani back in the squad, it is imperative Argentina improve their output in the final third.
#1 Lionel Messi's poor form continues in the international break as well
Lionel Messi has yet to hit the ground running in the 2021-22 campaign, and has just one assist and a goal to his name for Paris Saint-Germain so far. The player usually performs well for his national side irrespective of his club form. But he endured a tough outing against Paraguay.
The 34-year-old forward is usually the creative force for Argentina, and when he has a poor outing, the team suffers. With two more games left to play in the qualifiers this month, Messi will look to regain form and return to his club full of confidence.
