Argentina faces Peru and looks to extend its perfect score: schedule, TV and possible formations

After beating Paraguay 1-0, the Argentine National Team is looking to extend its perfect performance in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Their opponent will be Peru and without a formation yet defined, they will face each other this Tuesday, October 17. The world champions will land tonight in Lima with their captain Lionel Messi in the delegation, which is expected to get minutes with the team again as happened last Thursday in Buenos Aires.Coach Lionel Scaloni, in the press conference prior to the trip, which he gave at noon in Ezeiza, did not confirm if the star will return to the starting line-up or return to sit on the substitutes’ bench as in the Monumental.La decision It will be taken in Lima on the same day of the match after a talk between the coach and the player, who worked normally over the weekend, without any physical discomfort. The 36-year-old Messi joined the squad with an unusual lack of rhythm after suffering from an old injury to his right hamstring. He came on in the 52nd minute of the match with Paraguay and had good sensations, without traces of pain, although he was noticed at a prudent pace, with the intention of avoiding sudden efforts that could make him go backwards in his set-up. It’s okay, he’s been training. We will make the decision tomorrow. If he’s good, he’ll play, which is what we all want. It’s a matter of minutes, of how much he can play. If it’s okay, you know what I think. There’s nothing more to say,” Scaloni replied about Leo’s presence in the match against Peru.In addition to the eventual return of the captain, the Argentine coach did not rule out other changes in the formation due to the fatigue of some players, although his intention will be to respect the starting line-up of most of those who started on Thursday. Argentina visits the Peruvian national team with a favoritism that is backed by the past and the present. The “Albiceleste”, which this Tuesday will wear purple, as in the last match of the group stage of Qatar 2022 against Poland, wears the world champion badge on its shirt, leads these Qualifiers with an ideal score and its goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez comes from setting a new historical record of unbeaten clean sheet in the National Team with 621 minutes. In contrast, Peru is dragging a goal drought that did not allow them to celebrate in the first three rounds of the South American competition. The “Bicolor” drew 0-0 away to Paraguay in the opening match and then suffered defeats against Brazil (0-1) and Chile (0-2) in the Pacific Classic, a match of special significance for Inca soccer. The history of this confrontation also supports the National Team, which has not lost to the Incas in the Qualifiers for 38 years. The most recent defeat (1-0) took place on June 23, 1985 at the National Stadium, on the way to Mexico ’86, with a goal by Juan Carlos Oblitas.Argentina visited Peru ten times in the Qualifiers with a balance of four wins, four draws and two defeats. In the overall record, his paternity reflects 34 wins, 14 draws and only five losses. Schedule, TV and possible formationsThe match of the fourth round will be played at the National Stadium in the Peruvian capital from 23.00 in Argentina (21.00 local time), with refereeing by Venezuelan José Valenzuela, the control of Colombian Nicolás Gallo in the VAR and broadcast by TV Pública and TyC Sports.Peru: Pedro Gallese; Luis Advíncula, Ánderson Santamaría or Renato Tapia, Luis Abram and Miguel Trauco; Wilder Cartagena and Yoshimar Yotún; Joao Grimaldo, André Carrillo and Bryan Reyna; Paolo Guerrero. DT: Juan Reynoso.Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina or Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi and Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández; Julian Alvarez or Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Nicolas Gonzalez or Lucas Ocampos. DT: Lionel Scaloni.Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela).
VAR: Nicolás Gallo (Colombia).
Stadium: Nacional de Lima.
Starting time: 23.00 in Argentina.
TV: TV Pública and TyC Sports.

Original source in Spanish