Peru vs. Bolivia: Is having three forwards enough to face La Verde?

Peruvian national team continues with its preparation for the decisive matches of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers and there is uncertainty regarding the team that Ricardo Gareca will present against Bolivia at the National Stadium. Let's remember that the coach surprised by deciding to call up only three forwards, unlike the previous match, which significantly reduced the alternatives in the offensive zone.

Although there are players who will be absent due to injury (Paolo Guerrero and Raúl Ruidíaz), many fans questioned the fact that Santiago Ormeño was not included, who had a good performance in the few minutes he played against César Farías' team in La Paz.

Will three forwards be enough to achieve the six points? Is there a trick up their sleeve in the attack zone?

Questioned for off-field issues, the experienced striker from Alianza Lima demonstrated against Argentina that he only needs a few minutes to be decisive. As mentioned by the 'Tigre', this was one of the main reasons for not calling up the León de México player.

Since that match against Lionel Messi's squad, the 'Foquita' has not had much playtime. As it is known, the 37-year-old player suffers from a knee injury that prevents him from playing a full match. Despite this, he has played in 12 matches in the Liga 1, mostly coming off the bench, and has scored more than once.

According to the Twitter account Son Datos No Opiniones, 'Jefry' is the second athlete with the highest goal average per minute played in the local tournament. At the end of Phase 2, he played 445 minutes and scored four times. The '10 de la calle' is the main substitute in the national team.

The Italo-Peruvian striker was one of the players who fit best into the Argentine coach's scheme. After a great Copa America, he found his place in the starting eleven and his good relationship with the group is well known.

Although he has not yet managed to score in the qualifying tournament, he is a player who offers sacrifice when it comes to pressing. Also, as he showed against Ecuador in Quito, he has a great ability to drop back and assist his teammates.

On the other hand, his performance with Benevento in Serie B has been outstanding and he has earned a place among the regular starters of his club. In the 10 matches he played, he participated for 643 minutes and scored six times. With an average of one goal every 107 minutes, he is emerging as the '9' for the matches against Bolivia and Venezuela.

The Universitario forward was one of the best players in the closing stages of the national championship. After the arrival of Gregorio Pérez as the head coach of the merengue team, as stated by the aforementioned account, the 25-year-old striker established himself as the top scorer of his institution with 11 goals and was the only Peruvian to score a hat-trick during the season.

At the national team level, he played a few minutes in the Copa America and was considered for the matches against Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. His good present was one of the factors that made his call-up possible, and he is likely to be the main substitute for the 'Bambino'.

Unlike the previous qualifying match, two fewer players were called up this time. What stood out was the inclusion of full-backs Nilson Loyola and Aldo Corzo. With both defenders, the national team will have up to three options on each flank.

At the same time, the return of André Carrillo, who is now recovered from a lumbar injury, will be one of the main assets in the attack. Alongside Luis Advíncula, they add an interesting dose of speed on the right wing.

Loyola's call-up could mean an interesting change in the scheme, depending on the flow of the game. If Peru fails to quickly gain an advantage, Marcos López could play as a winger, a position he knows well, and between Trauco and Loyola, there would be his replacement in defense. In this way, Ricardo Gareca would be evaluating prioritizing the attack through these areas and achieving the goal of adding six points.

Meanwhile, Joshimar Yotún will not be available for the first match due to an injury, and his replacement would be between Christofer Gonzáles and Raziel García. On the other hand, one of the doubts is Pedro Aquino, the midfielder is carrying a slight injury and his presence is not confirmed.

Peru vs. Bolivia will face each other on Thursday, November 11th, for matchday 13 of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers. The match will take place at the National Stadium and will start at 9:00 p.m. (Peruvian time).