Peru vs Venezuela
When Peru host Venezuela at the Estadio Nacional de Lima on Wednesday they have a chance to climb off the bottom of the CONMEBOL table with a much needed victory.
Okay, it’s not the loftiest of ambitions, but for Peru, it would be a start, as they have picked up a solitary point from their five games so far, and it is much too early to write off their World Cup 2026 qualification hopes. CONMEBOL: Peru vs Venezuela is a bottom versus fourth clash, and Incas boss Juan Reynoso has a lot of work on his hands. His team is woefully short on confidence, but they have to approach this game as one they can win, and win well.
Venezuela boss Jose Pekerman can be pleased with the start his team has made, with eight points in the bag and they have been hard to break down, so Peru will have to up their game if they are to grab three vital points. Los Incas come into the game on the back of a 2-0 loss to Bolivia while Venezuela played put a goalless draw at home to Ecuador and this promises to be a tight and nervy game.
Talking Points
Peru’s punches just aren’t landing
Five games, one point, and no goals is a miserable return from eight hours of football, and that’s a problem Reynoso really needs to address. Okay, Los Incas have only conceded seven goals, and, having already faced Argentina and Brazil, that doesn’t sound so bad.
But unless you can score a goal, you will never win a game, and for too long, Peru have relied on their all-time top scorer, Captain Paulo Guerrero. The LDU Quito man has scored 39 goals in 114 appearances, but he is fast approaching his 40th birthday, and he is no Cristiano Ronaldo!
Cagliari’s Gianluca Lapadula has scored eight in 28 internationals, but he is 33 years of age, while Universitario striker Edison Flores is a relative spring chicken at 29, but with a goal ratio of one in five for his country, he is hardly prolific.
They come up against a team which has conceded just two goals in five games but the World Cup 2026 betting odds give Reynoso’s team a real chance on Wednesday. Ninth placed Bolivia face Uruguay this week, and that is a huge test against a side that headlined World Cup 2026 news when they beat CONMEBOL leaders Argentina. So I would say a win will lift Los Incas off the bottom.
Soteldo is Venezuela’s star man
La Vinotinto have drawn away to Brazil and lost in Colombia while beating Paraguay and Chile at home and drawing with Ecuador. The 3-0 beating of Chile was particularly impressive as goals from Yeferson Soteldo, Salomon Rondon and Darwin Machis saw off La Roja in some style.
26-year-old Santos midfielder Soteldo had the game of his life, scoring the fist goal, assisting the second and having a hand in the third. He opened the scoring on 47 minutes after good work from Jose Martinez, and then he set up former West Brom and Everton star Rondon for his 41st international goal on his 100th appearance. And La Vinotinto rounded off a superb night when Soteldo made a driving run and Rondon headed down for Cadiz midfielder Machis to make it three.
History
Peru have long been a respected nation in the football world, appearing in five World Cup finals and reaching the semi-finals twice, and they have won the Copa America twice. Venezuela are relatively new on the scene and have yet to make it to the World Cup finals, while their best effort at the Copa America was a fourth-place finish in 2011.
The Incas have had the better of the head-to-head over the past 20 years, winning nine to La Vinotinto’s five, and there have been four draws. Peru have won the last three meetings and have not lost this fixture at home on the last six occasions.
But with five defeats and a draw from their last six games, Peru desperately need a result, while Venezuela have won three, drawn two, and lost one over that period.
Betting Tip
At SBOTOP odds of 2.03, the hosts have a real chance to get a win on the board and climb off the foot of the table, while the draw is priced at 2.91 and a Venezuela victory is at 3.21.
Venezuela are 58th in the FIFA World Rankings, 36 places behind 22nd rated Peru, but this is bound to be a tight affair and a 1-0 win for Peru is the most likely outcome at odds of 5.22.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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