Argentina national football team is packed with top-class players, starting with Lionel Messi. And that’s why they’re among the top favorites for winning Copa America. It’s a similar case with Colombia, who are considered by many to be the possible dark horse of the championship. These two meet on weekend at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Bahia. And to help you with making some money off this game, here’s our Argentina vs Colombia prediction and betting tips!
Image source: footballtalk.org
Argentina
Three years ago, Argentina failed to win the Copa America Centenario. They lost to Chile in the final. All of their players are hoping they could reach the final once again and perhaps win the trophy this time. Many things have changed since 2016 Copa America, some for better, some for worse.
Argentina had a pretty unsuccessful campaign at the World Cup 2018, after which they changed the manager. Their current head coach is Lionel Scaloni, who’s been in charge for about a year. He was first their caretaker manager before getting a long-term contract. And before that, he was the assistant manager of Jorge Sampaoli.
During his tenure as the head manager of Argentina, this team has played friendlies only. His first major challenge comes this weekend when his team is taking on Colombia. It’s not going to be an easy game, that’s for sure, which is why Scaloni will probably put some more experienced players in the starting eleven.
Lionel Messi, their captain, will surely be there. Considered the best player ever, Messi hasn’t won any major trophy with his national team. And that’s why everyone is expecting him to shine at the Copa America 2019. The Argentina vs Colombia prediction of many pundits is that we’ll see Messi scoring at least once. Considering that he’s turning 32 later this month, his time to win a big trophy with Argentina is slowly ticking away. And that means that he’s gonna be super-motivated in this tournament.
Colombia
Obviously, they don’t have Messi-grade players in the team, but Colombia do have a pretty strong squad. They seem strong in every position on the pitch, with some really physical players at the back. Yerri Mina and Davinson Sanchez, two Colombian center-backs seem capable of causing a lot of trouble to Argentina during set-pieces.
The same goes for Colombia’s captain, their number 9, Radamel Falcao, who’s famously one of the best players when it comes to headers. Colombia also have a couple of very skilled and pacey players, most notably James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Jefferson Lerma.
And, of course, we mustn’t forget Duvan Zapata, who’s fast, strong, and technically very skillful player. And who’s had a magnificent season with Atalanta. Not only did he help his team qualify for the Champions League, but he also finished the season as the runner-up on the top-scorer list.
Apart from having good players, Colombia also have a great manager. The man in question is Carlos Queiroz, who has a really impressive managerial pedigree. In his career, he’s managed clubs like Real Madrid and Sporting CP and national teams like Portugal and Iran. He was also the assistant manager to legendary Alex Ferguson at Man United on two spells. The fact that they have Queiroz leading them is another reason why our Argentina vs Colombia betting tips might surprise you. They’re not going in Argentina’s favor…
Possible Lineups
Argentina
Armani – Otamendi, Foyth, Tagliafico, Saravia – Pizzaro, Peredes, Lo Celso – Messi, Di Maria, Aguero
Colombia
Ospina – Mina, Sanchez, Arias, Borja – Barrios, Lerma, Rodriguez, Cuadrado – Zapata, Falcao
Argentina vs Colombia Prediction
Argentina are the favorites, but we might be in for a surprise. Colombia are physically superior and seem capable of running over Argentina’s defense. Sure, Argentina have Messi in the team, but Colombia’s defenders are world-class.
Argentina vs Colombia Betting Tips
- Double Chance X2 @1.70 (bet365)