Argentina vs Chile
When you’ve won the World Cup and back-to-back Copa Americas, how exactly do you follow it up?
By going and doing it all over again of course!
That is what Argentina will be aiming to achieve as they continue the defence of the trophy at home to Chile in World Cup qualifying.
Rarely will a nation become champions of the world in as dramatic a fashion as that achieved by Lionel Messi and co 20 months ago.
And with five wins from six, not to mention their Copa triumph, they have pretty much continued from where they left off in Qatar with World Cup qualifying highlights.
Talking Points
They head the CONMEBOL table after six games with a two point lead over Uruguay, the only nation to have defeated them in qualifying.
That is one of only two losses they have experienced in 62 matches in all competitions since July 2019 and manager Lionel Scaloni boasts a 71.4 per cent win rate in charge of La Albiceleste.
In fact, he has cemented his place in international football history after steering his country to glory at three successive major tournaments.
In the absence of the injured Lionel Messi and the retired Angel Di Maria, Scaloni could select one of Nicolas Gonzalez, exciting Man Utd youngster Alejandro Garnacho or Paulo Dybala to start alongside Julian Alvarez and Copa America Golden Boot winner Lautaro Martinez in attack.
While La Albiceleste sit top of the South American standings after six matches, La Roja are down in eighth place, two points behind the qualification spots.
It is a decade since they took the 2014 World Cup by storm but that must seem even longer ago in many respects.
They have not reached a World Cup since and their CONMEBOL qualifying record so far reads: lost three, drawn two, won one.
That solitary victory was a 2-0 success over Peru on matchday three and they have since picked up just one point from their last three qualifiers, most recently losing 1-0 away against Ecuador last November.
Eduardo Berizzo resigned shortly after that defeat and has since been replaced by Argentinian Ricardo Gareca, who has won two, drawn two and lost two of his opening six games in charge.
Chile, who were once ranked as high as third in the world by FIFA in 2016, have since slipped to 43rd in the current standings, crashed out in the Copa America group stage for the first time in two decades after they could only collect one point from three matches.
Veteran goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has retired from international football, while Alexis Sanchez and Diego Valdes are both ruled out through injury.
Qualification is still firmly within their grasp but anything they get from Buenos Aires in the early hours of Thursday will surely be a bonus.
History
This fixture has provided a staggeringly one-sided history with 63 Argentina victories, 24 draws and just eight Chile successes.
Indeed, Chile have failed to win any of their previous eight meetings in all competitions, although that was a rather special one as they clinched Copa success themselves in the 2016 final on penalties.
They also defeated Argentina in the 2015 final on spot kicks.
They met at the Copa this summer too when a solitary goal from Martinez two minutes from time was enough to settle the group stage encounter in favour of the eventual winners.
It was in May 1910 in the Copa Centenario that the nations clashed for the first time.
On that occasion Argentina ran out 3-1 winners, courtesy of goals from Jose Viale, Maximiliano Susan and Juan Enrique Hayes.
Their most recent World Cup qualifying encounter came in January 2022 in Calama.
That was a game Argentina won 2-1, with goals from Di Maria and Martinez, with Ben Brereton Diaz replying for the home side.
By the end of the year, Argentina would be world champions.
Betting Tip
After reading all that, how can you bet against Argentina?
Well, the SBOTOP World Cup qualifying betting odds don’t think you should.
Argentina are priced 1X2 @ 1.34 with Chile well adrift @ 7.90.
Likewise, Asian Handicap back the world champions -1.25 @ 1.94 compared to the visitors +1.00 @ 2.38.
Another tight encounter in favour of the world and south America’s finest offers you a pay day of @ 5.00 with Correct Score 1-0.
The draw @ 4.33 will appeal to some but I can’t see beyond a sixth win out of seven in qualifying for Scaloni’s boys and a *** tip of First Half Asian Handicap Argentina -0.50 @ 1.93.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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