Peru to cling onto World Cup play-off place
It's fourth against fifth in the CONMEBOL section of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Both Colombia and Peru only have four more matches left to play, including their clash at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla on Saturday. The visitors are currently in the play-off place for Qatar, and know that they must get some kind of result to at least stay in that position. Read our preview here:
Tri points, please
Only two points separate La Tricolor from Bolivia in eighth, and things could scarcely be any tighter in the scramble for the last automatic berth. Reinaldo Rueda's men have only won and lost three each, with the vast majority of their games ending in stalemates. Porto winger Luis Díaz is a reported target for Tottenham Hotspur in the remaining days of the winter transfer window; his impressive goalscoring return for the Portuguese giants might need to be called upon for similar success on his native soil.
Yotún of bricks
Ricardo Gareca's charges could go above their hosts with a win, but will pack the midfield in a 4-5-1 for a safety-first approach. Both likely XIs lean heavily on experienced campaigners, with Yoshimar Yotún patrolling the midfield for La Blanquirroja. Elsewhere, late bloomer Gianluca Lapadula, who started off in Italy's 'B' side, will lead the line. The Benevento striker's physicality and work rate will bring runners into play.
Betting tip
betway have surprisingly long odds of 3.40 for a ninth draw from 15 games for Colombia. The pool is incredibly tight, and even Paraguay down in ninth are still in with a shout of automatic qualification. This might make decisive results even fewer and further between.
