Uruguay vs. Colombia: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

World Cup qualification takes place this Friday in Montevideo, and it promises to be a rematch of the heated semi-final from the Copa America last summer between Uruguay and Colombia.

After Colombia's 1-0 victory, there were brawls between the players and supporters, leading to severe sanctions for many Uruguayan players.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Uruguay has not reverted to its spectacular form from the first six rounds of qualification since that tragic day at the Copa.

Marcelo Bielsa's squad has failed to win or score in their last four matches after losing to Colombia. They are falling farther and farther behind league leaders Argentina and dangerously close to finishing outside of the top six.

Even while La Celeste has been adding points to its tally, a 1-0 loss in Peru last month was a major letdown. Three of its four games ended in scoreless draws.

With just four points separating them from the group outside of the automatic qualification spots, losing nine points in those games against four teams outside the top four might be disastrous for Uruguay.

Bielsa said after the Peru defeat that Luis Suarez's remarks made soon after his retirement from international football had "affected his authority. "

Publicly, Suarez criticized Bielsa for causing strife in the locker room and the team as a whole because of his managerial style.

Even worse for Uruguay's chances of securing a spot at their fifth consecutive World Cup are the several bans handed down after their semi-final defeat in the Copa. However, all those penalties have already been served, so the team can make no excuses moving forward.

During October's internationals, Colombia experienced an unusual week as manager Nestor Lorenzo lost his first game as a national team coach, a 31-game streak away from Bolivia.

Some Colombian players needed oxygen throughout the game because they were out of breath from the high altitude at La Verde's new home stadium, El Alto. The shocking part was that they still lost 1-0 despite playing with ten men for 70 minutes.

Luis Diaz, Jhon Duran, and James Rodriguez were all on fire as Los Cafeteros bounced back a few days later and dominated Chile 4-0 at Barranquilla.

Colombia currently seems on track to make it back to the World Cup finals after losing out in 2022. That victory kept them in second place, three points behind Argentina at the top and seven clear of Bolivia in the playoff berth.

Colombia has not won on Uruguay soil since 1973, so this will be another problematic away test for Lorenzo's squad. However, with all the turmoil and problems La Celeste is now experiencing, this is the ideal moment to play them.

Uruguay x Colombia Team News

Due to CAS lifting his suspension, Darwin Nunez will be eligible to play again after appearing last month while the issue was being reviewed. He was involved in the mayhem that followed Uruguay's defeat to Colombia.

On the other hand, Manuel Ugarte, Santiago Bueno, Nahitan Nandez, and Jose Maria Gimenez are among the seven players who would be suspended if they were booked here. Nunez is included on that list.

The return of Rodrigo Bentancur, Matias Olivera, and Gimenez after their severe summer bans will strengthen the home team's defense, especially since Bielsa only started one recognized center defender in the loss to Peru.

Since Luis Sinisterra had such an effect coming off the bench against Chile, scoring and setting up the game-winning goal, his late departure due to injury is a significant setback for Colombia.

Fullback for Juventus Midfielders Jefferson Lerma and Yaser Asprilla is now injured. At the same time, Juan Cabal withdrew from the team after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) not long after signing.

Duran, the striker for Aston Villa, has surpassed Jhon Cordoba in importance. At the same time, Diaz, another attacker from the Premier League, has been the team's most productive player so far this season, having assisted on eleven goals.

Our Predictions

Full time draw @ 3.15 on Sky247.ng

In their past seven games, Uruguay has only won twice—in the third-place playoff and in a penalty shootout at the Copa America—so breaking their four-game scoreless streak is crucial if they want to get back on track.

Despite a brief setback at Bolivia's high altitude, Colombia under Lorenzo has been rock solid throughout this qualifying campaign and will enter the match assured of a victory.

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