Colombia aim to seal World Cup spot against a Bolivia side clinging to hope | OneFootball

Néstor Lorenzo's team wants to break their losing streak and secure a spot in the World Cup, while La Verde is playing their last card to keep dreaming. They face off at 20:30.

The Colombia National Team faces Bolivia this Thursday from 20:30 at the Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez Stadium for the 17th round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The team led by Néstor Lorenzo wants to end their losing streak and secure their ticket to the World Cup, while La Verde is playing their last card to keep dreaming.

The Tricolor comes to the match with the obligation to win to guarantee their presence in United States, Mexico, and Canada 2026, but they are going through a tough time. The team managed by Néstor Lorenzo has six matches without victories and recently lost the final of the 2024 Copa América against Argentina, a blow that left its mark. To turn things around, the coach made significant changes to the squad, with Jhon Durán out due to injury and the return of Dayro Moreno after nine years of absence.

On the other hand, Bolivia keeps their hopes of direct qualification alive, although the equation is clear: they need to win in Barranquilla to stay in the race. If they fail to do so, they will have to aim for a spot in the Playoff zone, where they are in a head-to-head battle with Venezuela, who is one point ahead. The team led by Óscar Villegas is confident in repeating the victory achieved last October, when they defeated Colombia 1-0 with a goal by Miguel Terceros, who is also the second top scorer of these Qualifiers with six goals, tied with Lionel Messi.

The statistics, however, do not favor the Bolivians: La Verde hasn't scored an away goal against Colombia since 1996, but the hope remains intact. The key will be to take advantage of the spaces and the inspiration of Terceros, along with Moisés Paniagua and Henry Vaca, who will be crucial to keeping their World Cup chances alive.

Probable lineup for Colombia

Camilo Vargas; Andrés Román, Dávinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Ríos, Jhon Arias, James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz; Jhon Córdoba. Coach: Néstor Lorenzo.

Probable lineup for Bolivia

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.