With the advantage of playing at home, Argentina had little trouble securing a win against Paraguay, and an unexpected standout performer emerged in the process.
Argentina continued their World Cup qualifying journey today as they hosted Paraguay in Buenos Aires. Following their victory in Qatar, Enzo Fernández and his teammates were in excellent form. They had not lost a match in nearly a year, with three consecutive wins in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
The 1-0 victory over Paraguay seemed to be a reflection of Argentina’s recent style of play, characterized by a more cautious, measured, and stifling approach.
While Paraguay possesses a decent level of skill in South America, they often struggle as the visiting team in Argentina. During the 90 minutes at El Monumental, Paraguay managed only one shot on target and had possession for just 25% of the match.
In other words, Paraguay was unable to play their style due to Argentina’s disruptive play. Argentina is often imagined as a flamboyant, attacking team, but that was more characteristic of Argentina from past decades. They have adopted a more pragmatic style in recent years, and this morning’s victory exemplified La Albiceleste’s current approach.
In this context, the defensive line serves as the foundation for every victory under the guidance of coach Lionel Scaloni. Nicolas Otamendi was the most notable among the four home defenders. The experienced veteran showed both his experience and readiness to shine when the attack stuttered.
The way Argentina scored their goal also carried a distinct South American flavor. From a corner kick situation, the ball was floated to the far post, where Otamendi executed a perfectly volleyed shot into the net. At first glance, one might think it was a forward’s strike. Everything, from the technique to the power, was flawless.
Scoring against Argentina is challenging, and doing so in the third minute made the task even more daunting. Paraguay remained entirely ineffective for the remainder of the match.
Otamendi displayed his leadership in orchestrating his team’s movements. He was the metronome for his teammates, with a passing accuracy of up to 95%, completing 121 touches.
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On the other hand, he was not hesitant to engage in physical battles with the opponents. Otamendi won 7 duels in contested situations. He acted as a rock that thwarted the away team’s attempts to advance, allowing younger players like Cristian Romero to perform better.
If Otamendi received the highest rating in the match according to Sofascore (8.1), the other three members of Argentina’s defense received scores above 7. Not surprisingly, up to this point in the qualifying campaign, Argentina has not conceded any goals, while scoring 5.
In the near future, Argentina will experience a generational shift. However, Otamendi has still found a way to connect with the younger generation. They are successful with this formula, and it appears that Scaloni will not deviate from the winning formula.
