Venezuela continues the pursuit of their first win and goal in the South American World Cup qualifying campaign. The side plays host to Chile this week at Caracas. The match schedules for Tuesday with kickoff at midnight.
Chile head into the match with their heads held high after picking their first win in the competition after defeating Peru.
Chile put up a spirited fight last week against an out of form Peru side to secure a spot in the competition’s qualifying spot. The Man of the Match, Arturo Vidal, started with a 30-yard screamer that found the back of the net. It followed with another equalizer before the half time break.
Vidal’s brace saw the veteran midfielder enter the league of a select few midfielders with over 30 international goals. Another historic moment for the match was Claudio Bravo becoming the first player in Chile’s history to participate in 50 World Cup qualifiers.
La Roja head into the match with a five out of six winning streaks against their opponents. Despite their unexpected home victory, it gives Reinaldo Rueda an edge as they head to Caracas.
Venezuela is yet to qualify for a senior World Cup in their history who are the only CONMEBOL nation that has never done so. The side sits together with Bolivia as the only side without any points so far.
Venezuela vs. Chile Head to Head
Both sides have 12 games against each other, with Venezuela picking one win while Venezuela with nine wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Brazil 1-0 Venezuela
Venezuela 0-1 Paraguay
Colombia 3-0 Paraguay
Japan 1-4 Venezuela
Venezuela 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Away
Chile 2-0 Peru
Chile 2-2 Colombia
Uruguay 2-1 Chile
Chile 3-2 Guinea
Colombia 0-0 Chile
Venezuela Team News
Jose Peseiro is under heavy pressure without an exact starting formation ahead of their clash. Salomon Randon leads the attacking line with Yeferson Soteldo and Darwin Machis, giving supporting roles. Cristian Casseres impressed last time and will get the nod to lead the engine room.
Chile Team News
Veterans Jean Beausejour and Mauricio Isla expect to continue their roles as full-backs. Charles Aranguiz will not take part in the match after complaints from his club over his form ahead of the clash. Alexis Sanchez will lead the attacking line with Vidal taking the midfield role.
Prediction and Odds
With a poor record so far in the competition without any win, we expect Chile to take advantage this Tuesday.
Chile Win
Goals Under 2.5
Home: No Score
