Brazil and Paraguay will renew their rivalry in a crucial World Cup Qualifying match on Tuesday.

Both teams are stuck in the pack that runs between second and seventh place and is only separated by a measly three points. The only way for teams in this race to keep pace is to continue winning matches and hoping for draws across the board.

Paraguay and Brazil both have eight points as each side is coming off a 2-2 draw in its most recent qualifying match.

Brazil held a 2-0 lead at home against Uruguay before imploding in the second half and blowing the lead against a surging Luis Suarez. Had Brazil won that game, it would have taken sole possession of second place in the crowded field. Instead the team stands to run up the numbers this week, but could easily find itself dropping a few places with a defeat at the hands of Paraguay.

Neymar struggles

Of notable concern for Brazil is the absence of captain Neymar, who was sent back to Spain after getting another yellow card. The Barcelona superstar has yet to score a goal for his nation in the qualifiers and has looked increasingly overwhelmed where the yellow of the Selecao. He almost launched into another one of his patented tirades against the referees after the game but was saved from himself by his Barca teammate Suarez who intervened and set everything right.

Neymar has yet to have an impact in these qualifiers in the form of a major goal, and he will not get his chance again until September. This might actually be helpful to the nation as his teammates often look to get Neymar the ball as often as possible, thus limiting their own abilities on the pitch. Without him, Brazil's offense has often looked freer and more confident.

Paraguay drew 2-2 at Ecuador, hampering the best team in qualifiers to date and keeping themselves in the running for a spot in Russia 2018 after coming up dead last for the Brazil tournament last time around.

Prediction: Brazil wins 2-1 in a high octane match.

The game will be available to view on beIN Sports and its streaming app at 8:45 PM EST.

The game will be played at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, Paraguay.

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