Egypt vs Paraguay, Olympics Football 2024, Today Match Prediction

Egypt vs Paraguay Match Prediction & Analysis

Egypt, the Group C winners, will face Paraguay, the Group D runners-up, in the third quarterfinal at the Orange Velodrome Stadium in Marseille on August 2 at 10:30 p.m. IST. This match promises to be a clash of underdogs.

Friday's match presents an opportunity for the Pharaohs to create history, as they have never progressed beyond the quarterfinals of this competition. Their previous quarterfinal appearance resulted in a loss to Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, after a stunning victory over highly-rated Spain in the group stage, Rogerio Micale's team enters Friday's match as favorites.

Meanwhile, Paraguay, the U23 CONMEBOL champions, demonstrated resilience after a 5-0 defeat to Japan in their opening match. They rallied to win their next two games and secure a quarterfinal berth. The last time Paraguay reached the quarterfinals, they went on to win the tournament, with Carlos Jara Saguier at the helm.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Egypt Preview

The Pharaohs enter Friday's quarterfinal clash undefeated in their group, including a surprising victory over favored Spain. However, their path to the knockout stage was less than convincing, with a scoreless draw against the Dominican Republic, a narrow win over Uzbekistan, and a victory over a significantly weakened Spanish side. Despite these results, Rogerio Micale's team has shown signs of struggle. 

The primary issue has been converting chances into goals. Their xG (expected goals) minus actual goals statistic of -0.52 is among the worst in the competition. Defensively, they have also been vulnerable, ranking fourth-worst in xGA (expected goals against). Even a depleted Spanish side created four quality opportunities, highlighting their defensive shortcomings. 

These statistics suggest that the Pharaohs have faced relatively weak opposition thus far. Amidst the challenges, Brahim Adel has been a standout performer with two goals. His contributions will be crucial if Egypt aims to advance on Friday. Micale is expected to field the same starting eleven.

Egypt Probable Starting XI - Alaa (Goalkeeper); Fayed, Abdelmeguid, Eid, El-Debes(Defenders); Elneny,Shehata, Kouka; Sayed, Faisal, Adel (Forwards) 

Paraguay Preview

Technically, this is Paraguay’s third elimination game, given their 5-0 rout of Japan necessitated a win in every subsequent match. Carlos Jara’s team has demonstrated both the skill and mental fortitude to handle any situation, as evidenced by their stunning comeback with two goals in the final six minutes against Ukraine and their ability to defend a one-goal lead against Mali. This experience will undoubtedly benefit them in another knockout match.

La Albirroja’s success, as seen in the game against Israel, has been founded on winning crucial defensive duels. They triumphed in 62% of their duels versus Ukraine and 58% against Mali. Offensively, the duo of Marcelo Gomez and captain Diego Gomez has been exceptional. Fernandez, with three goals, is the competition’s second-leading scorer, while Gomez has contributed ten key passes and two assists. Their performances will be pivotal to Paraguay’s success.

Tactically, Carlos Jara favors a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is expected to remain unchanged for Friday’s match.

Paraguay  Probable Starting XI - R. Fernandez(Goalkeeper); Rivas, De Jesus, Balbuena, Nunez(Defenders); M. Fernandez, M. Gomez, D. Gomez, Caballero(Midfielders); Enciso, Perez(Forwards)

EGYPT vs PARAGUAY
Winning Prediction

Paraguay's defense is not renowned for its solidity. After the first round of matches, they have conceded eight goals in the competition and 23 in their previous eight games. Nevertheless, their defense has produced crucial interventions in their last two matches. This, combined with their offensive capabilities, makes them a dangerous opponent.

Egypt has struggled to score goals but has been relatively solid defensively. They are unbeaten in their last six games, and in no match during that period have they conceded more than one goal. Based on these statistics, a low-scoring encounter is anticipated. According to top betting sites, Paraguay is the unexpected favorite to win the match, with odds of 2.20 compared to Egypt's 3.25. We concur with this assessment and predict a Paraguay victory. 

Paraguay U-23 to win (0-1)

1xBet

330% up to ₹65,000 on your 1st Deposit with Reg Code: TOPBK

BET NOW