Peru vs. Paraguay: International Friendly Schedule & Predictions - Los Incas Look for Payback Against Los Guaranies

By Edwin Molina First Posted: Nov 18, 2014 03:00 PM EST

Peru will be looking to rebound with a stronger performance on Tuesday after their 2-1 loss against Paraguay in a friendly rematch from last Friday's game.

Peru is hoping that a change of scenery, with the game taking place at Estadio Nacional of Peru in Lima, will turn their fortunes around after losing on the road last week at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, Paraguay. Corinthians forward Angel Romero scored in the 70th minute for Paraguay while striker Derlis Gonzalez, who plays on Swiss Super League club FC Basel, clinched the win by nailing a penalty kick in the first minute of stoppage time in the second half.

Peruvian head coach Pablo Bengoechea, who replaced Sergio Markarian in March, called up Alvaro Ampuero for the suspended Yoshimar Yotun, who ate a red card late in the game for a handball which led to Gonzalez's penalty kick that put the game out of reach for Peru.

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"It would be good for this match in Lima we can correct mistakes we made in Asuncion," said Peruvian midfielder Cristian Benavente, who also plays for Real Madrid Castilla in Spain's Segunda División B, to Peru.com. "Such inattentiveness in the last few minutes of the game can be improved with nothing less than hard work. I thought we played well and the game should have ended in a draw but it was not possible. We have a rematch and we expect to be able to improve."

Paraguay coach Víctor Genes wants to keep the momentum going for his squad, especially after a rough trip to Asia earlier in the year that saw his team lose to China and South Korea. The team is continuing to experiment with a young lineup in preparation of the 2015 Copa America.

"It will be a good match," said Genes, who previously coached River Plate in Argentina. "Peru has good technical players and like us is on the the process of rebuilding where they are trying out young players, as is the case with their players who played in the Sub-20 such as [Cristian] Benavente and [Yordy] Reyna. We will present a tea that intends to play well up top, who intend to put pressure and score goals against Peru but without being careless in the back."

Predictions

Both teams are in a rebuilding phase after having missed the World Cup -- Peru finishing seventh in the CONMEBOL qualifiers and Paraguay dead last -- and are looking to make better impressions in the upcoming 2015 Copa America. Bengoechea is on the hot seat in Peru, having lost to Paraguay and World Cup qualifiers England, Switzerland and Chile despite victories over Panama, Iraq, Qatar and Guatemala. Peru played solid last week against Paraguay in spite of late-game breakdowns and maybe playing at home is exactly what the doctor ordered for "Los Incas," who will pull off the victory and keep the fans off of Bengoechea's back.