World Cup Qualifiers: Argentina’s Cup hopes on line

Montevideo: Argentina’s stumbling 2018 World Cup qualification campaign faces another awkward hurdle on Thursday as the misfiring South American giants take on in-form Peru in Buenos Aires.

The 2014 World Cup finalists have lurched from one disappointment to the next since South America’s qualifiers kicked off two years ago, with the two-time champions invariably failing to add up to the sum of their talented parts.

Despite a formidable arsenal of attackers led by Lionel Messi, the Argentinians have scored just 16 goals in 16 games, the second lowest total behind already-eliminated Bolivia.

A lacklustre 1-1 home draw with Venezuela in their last outing on September 5 left Argentina’s hopes of automatic qualification for next year’s finals in Russia hanging by the slenderest of threads.

With just Thursday’s game against Peru and next week’s challenging trip to Ecuador remaining, Argentina are in fifth place in the table, outside the top four automatic qualifying places.

While a fifth-place finish would likely still see them qualify for Russia — with what ought to be a straight forward playoff assignment against New Zealand awaiting  — a crowded table means Argentina can’t take anything for granted.

If South American champions Chile — currently in sixth place, one point adrift of Argentina — win their home match against Ecuador, and fourth-placed Peru win or draw in Buenos Aires, Argentina will head into the final round of games next week outside both the automatic qualifying and playoff places.

In a bid to avoid that scenario, Argentina have sought to obtain every advantage possible against Peru, who have reignited their qualification campaign with consecutive wins over Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Venue switch draws protest
The match has been moved to Boca Juniors’ intimidating La Bombonera ground, where steep stands surrounding three sides of the pitch help to create a bearpit-like atmosphere in the 49,000-capacity venue.

Peru last month requested to Fifa that the game be moved to another venue on safety grounds.

Ronaldo concern for Portugal 
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo went through a worryingly light training session on Wednesday in Lisbon ahead of two crucial final World Cup qualifiers. If Euro 2016 champions Portugal beat Andorra on Saturday and current Group B leaders Switzerland in Lisbon three days later, they will book a direct slot at Russia 2018. But on Wednesday Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo, accompanied by a physio, did a little running and hardly touched a ball as the rest of the squad went through a complete work out, according to a photographer.