Colombia will look to arrest a worrying run of form when they host struggling Peru in Barranquilla in World Cup qualifying this Friday evening.
Los Cafeteros are on the cusp of returning to the World Cup after missing the finals held in Qatar, but Nestor Lorenzo's men are certainly limping over the line.
Match preview
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After going almost 30 games without defeat after signing on as Colombia manager, Lorenzo has seen his side's form dip dramatically over the past few months, and it means they are still nervously looking over their shoulder.
Colombia are the closest team to dropping out of the top six in CONMBEOL qualifying, but they do have some favourable fixtures to finish.
The two final home games in qualifying for Colombia see them face joint-bottom Peru next, before welcoming dismal travellers Bolivia here in the autumn, and they will round the campaign off away to Venezuela.
Anything less than seven points across those three matches will be a huge disappointment, but there is no guarantee Colombia will get that, if their recent form is anything to go by.
After losing three straight matches versus Uruguay, Ecuador and Brazil, Lorenzo's men threw away a 2-0 lead at home to Paraguay in March, drawing 2-2, leaving them down in sixth, only five points clear of Venezuela, who occupy the playoff spot at present.
Venezuela face Bolivia at home this week, with a win highly likely in that one, so Colombia must ensure they do not slip up here, otherwise the pressure on their final three games will increase tenfold.
Next up is a Peru side that have proven tricky customers of late, losing just one of their previous four meetings with Colombia, but the Blanquirroja are enduring a woeful qualifying campaign.
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Peru missed out on the 2022 finals, after making a long-awaited return at Russia 2018, but they have never been in contention to break into the top six during this campaign, largely thanks to their dreadful form on the road.
Not only have Peru failed to win a single game on the road, they are still yet to score a goal, drawing a blank in all seven away qualifiers so far, taking just one point in the process.
Oscar Ibanez arrived as manager at the start of the year, but he has an unenviable task on his hands, and it now appears insurmountable, given the tricky fixtures they have to come.
Peru's only hope is to go through the interconfederational playoff, but Venezuela are five points ahead of them, and Ibanez's men must go to Colombia next, as well as Uruguay, while hosting in-form Ecuador, so by the time they face Paraguay at home in September, their elimination may already have been confirmed.
Team News
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Colombia will be without star man Luis Diaz through suspension for this clash, and fellow Premier League wide man Luis Sinisterra is missing due to injury.
Captain James Rodriguez will be present though, and the playmaker should earn his 115th cap for Los Cafeteros in front of an adoring home crowd.
Most of Colombia's injury concerns are in defence, where Juan Cabal, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica and Carlos Cuesta are all missing from this month's squad.
Despite Peru's recent struggles, Ibanez has stuck with largely the same squad that have failed to perform across qualifying.
An overhaul is required, with much of the current squad now well into their 30s, including Luis Advincula, Carlos Zambrano, Gianluca Lapadula (all 35) and Andre Carrillo (33), as well as 41-year-old Paolo Guerrero, who could start.
Miguel Trauco has pulled out of this month's squad due to injury, and joins Wilder Cartagena and Alexander Callens on the sidelines for the visitors.
Colombia possible starting lineup:
Vargas; Munoz, Mina, Lucumi, Machado; Rios, Lerma, Asprilla; J Arias, Duran, James
Peru possible starting lineup:
Gallesse; Advincula, Zambrano, Garces, Lopez; Aquino, Tapia, Carrillo; Polo, Guerrero, Reyna
We say: Colombia 1-0 Peru
After taking 13 points from their first five home games, Colombia have won none of the last two, even losing to Ecuador here, but Peru are not at the same level, and this fixture should offer respite for Lorenzo's under-fire squad.
Peru have still not scored a goal away from home in qualifying, and there was not much to shout about in Ibanez's first two games in charge last month, with another defeat on the cards.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
