Uruguay Vs Venezuela
Uruguay Vs Venezuela Tuesday 1 February, 2022 – 23:00 (GMT)
CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier
Pick: Uruguay Win & Under 3.5 Goals
Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 30 January 2022)
Preview: Any mistakes from here on in could prove costly for Uruguay, who picked up a first win in six last time out. Can they build on the performance in Paraguay by putting Venezuela – yet to register a point in seven away qualifiers – to the sword in Montevideo?
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Table of Contents
Uruguay – Has change in coach ignited faltering qualifying bid?
Just when it seemed they had resigned themselves to not being on the plan for Qatar, La Celeste go and produce a dogged display in victory away to Paraguay that suggests they are up for the fight. And while it wasn’t exactly vintage Uruguay in Asuncion last Thursday, it was three hugely important points from an encouraging performance in head coach Diego Alonso’s first game in charge since replacing Oscar Tabarez.
That brought a five-match winless sequence to a halt, losing four on the spin prior to Luis Suarez’s match-winning effort against a poor Paraguay. So while some semblance of confidence within the squad will have been restored, we probably shouldn’t get too carried away. After all, this is a side with a win ratio down at 33% in these qualifiers (W5 D4 L6), rising only slightly to 42% when on home soil (W3 D2 L2).
Key Stat: Despite Luis Suarez’s winning strike last time out, scoring remains an issue for this Uruguay team. That is now two goals scored across their last six games, narrowly avoiding what would have been an eighth blank in fifteen World Cup qualifiers.
Venezuela – La Vinotinto yet to impress away from home?
La Vinotinto have long since known they won’t be involved when the World Cup finals eventually get underway in Qatar later this year. They were the first and currently only side to be mathematically eliminated, and they remain rooted to the foot of CONMEBOL’s standings despite a rousing 4-1 victory over Bolivia in the last round. They will be aiming to finish on a high, beginning with a trip to Montevideo.
Salomon Rondon’s hat-trick stole the plaudits on Friday but the form man for Jose Pekerman’s side remains Granada’s Darwin Machis. The 28-year-old scored his team’s third last time and has now found the net in three of the last four qualifiers. The midfielder is yet to score away from home though, mirroring his side’s issue on their travels having lost all seven away qualifiers thus far.
Key Stat: 100% of Venezuela’s points (10) and wins (3) have come away from home. They are yet to register a point on their travels so far, scoring twice but conceding 14 across their seven away matches to date.
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Uruguay Vs Venezuela Betting Advice
In a game they simply must win, it is difficult placing any amount of faith in a team that had failed to win in five qualifiers – scoring once across these matches – prior to a recent 1-0 win over a Paraguay side that fared worse in these qualifiers than all bar rock-bottom Venezuela. Fortunately for La Celeste, though, it is that same Venezuela up next, with the visitors still searching for their first away points of the campaign.
Uruguay Vs Venezuela – Key Facts:
- Both teams secured morale-boosting victories last time out. However, the standings still show a gulf between the teams – Uruguay being five places and nine points better off.
- Uruguay have fared better as hosts during the campaign, winning three of seven such matches. However, they have now scored just two goals across their last six qualifiers, home and away.
- Venezuela are dreadfully poor on their travels, though, losing all seven away qualifiers thus far having scored only three times in these matches.
We probably have to assume Uruguay compound Venezuela’s problems on the road. The latter managing three goals and zero points from seven away matches to date. As dismal as that undoubtedly is, this isn’t a Uruguay team playing with a great deal of confidence. The recent performance in Paraguay was positive. Though it was still a 1-0 scoreline, meaning La Celeste have notched just twice in their last six qualifiers.
Best Betting Odds – Uruguay Vs Venezuela
Uruguay – 1/3 (WilliamHill)
Draw – 18/5 (Betfair)
Venezuela – 11/1 (Coral)
