The selection had overwhelming control of the ball, with almost 80% possession; however, it struggled to create clear opportunities against a well-organized rival. The team faced strong high pressing that made it difficult to advance and a closed defense that did not concede space. Despite their dominance, Argentina failed to capitalize on their chances and ended up suffering a defeat in Asunción, their third so far in the qualifiers.
The match started promisingly for the world champions, with an early goal from Lautaro Martínez that gave them the lead. However, the joy was short-lived, as Antonio Sanabria equalized with a fantastic goal. At the start of the second half, Paraguay managed to take the lead 2-1 thanks to a header from Omar Alderete.
In the words of the Argentine coach at the end of the match: "It was a complicated match, Paraguay managed to read our intentions well and took full advantage of their opportunities. We need to improve our finishing and our game generation if we want to secure our place in the World Cup."
This defeat represents a setback for Argentina in their path toward Qatar 2022 and highlights the need to continue working on game strategy and effectiveness in converting goal-scoring plays.
