Argentina vs Colombia
Lionel Messi and Argentina are in yet another Copa America semi-final, their sixth in the last seven stagings of the tournament. They fell short at this stage in 2019, when they fell to eventual champions Brazil.
But Messi and co. have a terrific opportunity to make it back to the final – and possibly win their long-awaited title – as they face Colombia, who have not looked particularly impressive in this tournament and have struggled to score too many goals.
On the other hand, Argentina seem to be growing stronger as the tournament has gone on, and the Copa America 2021 betting odds are very much in their favour to reach the final once again.
Talking Points
Messi, Argentina finally finding best form
It took a few games, but Argentina finally appear to be finding their best form in the Copa America. After three closely contested games against Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay, they finally broke through with a 4-1 win over struggling Bolivia in their group finale.
And they carried that over that goalscoring touch to their quarter-final against Ecuador, where they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
Messi was once again instrumental in both victories and has been terrific all tournament long. He has three goals and three assists in the last two games, pushing his overall tally to four goals and four assists in the tournament.
Manager Lionel Scaloni has preferred a 4-3-3 formation with a front three of Messi, Lautaro Martinez, and Nico Gonzalez for most of the tournament, and based on Argentina’s fine Copa America 2021 results – four wins, one draw in five games – he is unlikely to make many, if any, changes to his lineup.
If he does, though, he has plenty of options off his bench, with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Papu Gomez, and Sergio Aguero all ready to step in if needed.
Meanwhile, the midfield looks quite settled, with the impressive trio of Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, and Rodrigo De Paul expected to retain their places. Their ability to maintain control of the middle of the pitch has been crucial in Argentina’s stellar defence in this year’s tournament, with just two goals conceded through five games.
Colombia yet to convince at the Copa
Colombia are back in the semi-finals of the Copa America for the second time in three stagings of the tournament. However, Los Cafeteros have been nowhere near as impressive as they have been in past years.
After winning their opening game of the tournament, they went winless for the rest of the group stage as they drew with a Covid-ravaged Venezuela and lost to Peru and Brazil. They also just made it out of the quarter-finals as they beat Uruguay on penalties after a goalless draw.
The absence of star playmaker James Rodriguez has certainly played a part in their struggles. But even with the presence of star strikers Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel, they have scored just three times in their first five matches. The Atalanta duo simply have not been at their best in this tournament and have zero goals between them thus far.
Colombia will not have too many opportunities to score with Argentina expected to control much of possession, so Zapata and Muriel must be more clinical with their finishing to stand any chance.
Rueda opted to match Argentina’s 4-3-3 formation in their recent World Cup qualifier, and he could decide to use a similar tactic to make things as difficult as possible for the Argentines’ attack.
History
Argentina have absolutely dominated Colombia through the years. They have a significant 24-9 advantage in terms of wins, with just eight draws.
Although, the Colombians have been more competitive in recent years. They’ve drawn two of their last three meetings with Argentina, which includes that World Cup qualifier in June as Colombia came from two goals behind to draw 2-2.
They also won their most recent Copa America match in 2019, with Roger Martinez and Zapata scoring in a 2-0 victory.
They also met in the quarter-finals of the 2015 Copa America. The two played out a goalless draw, but Argentina advanced on penalties.
Betting Tip
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Argentina vs Colombia | 1X2 Argentina @ 1.72 |
| July 07, 09:00 (GMT+8) |
SBOTOP odds have Argentina as 1.72 favourites to win their semi-final against Colombia, who are priced at 4.90. A draw is 3.40.
It’s hard to make a case against an Argentina win. They are playing some of their best football at the right time, with Lionel Messi getting stronger the deeper he goes in the tournament.
With Argentina’s array of attacking weapons led by Messi coupled with Colombia’s struggles in front of goal, Argentina should take care of Colombia and advance to their fifth Copa final of the 21st century.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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