Argentina vs Chile

Argentina vs Chile – a match which has turned into a fixture following the recent editions of Copa America. The two met in 2015, where Chile beat Argentina to win their first South American championship. They then met again one year later at the same stage with the result, once again, going in Chile’s favour. They meet again this year, albeit for the third-place match. Here’s how the two teams could line up. 

It has been a forgetful tournament for Argentina. The Albiceleste barely managed to make it out of the group stage, before losing in the semi-finals to rivals Brazil. Furthermore, the Argentine players themselves haven’t lived up to the expectations, with Lionel Messi admitting a drop in his performances.

Despite that, the Argentine skipper is the safest bet to start in the Copa America third-place match against Chile. Messi has just one goal in the competition so far, which came via the penalty spot, and will be hoping to add more to his tally.

Another player set to retain his position is Lautaro Martinez. The striker has been Lionel Scaloni’s favourite and will likely retain his place alongside Sergio Aguero up front. Conversely, Scaloni could even be tempted to give Paulo Dybala a start considering the no-consequence match.

The midfield trio will likely consist of Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo de Paul, and Marcos Acuna. Those three have been picked by Scaloni in both of his last two matches and it looks set to continue that way.

In defence, Nicolas Tagliafico and Juan Foyth are expected to retain their places as full-backs, while Nicholas Otamendi and German Pezzella are likely to start in the centre.

Chile will be a little disappointed after failing to make their third consecutive Copa America final. The South American side were beaten comprehensively by Peru in the semi-finals and are now left to face Argentina in a ‘best-of-the-worst’ match.

Nevertheless, Alexis Sanchez and Co will hope to continue their dominance over the Albiceleste, by defeating them in the South American Cup yet again.

Sanchez himself will be the first name on the teamsheet. The Chilean has been poor for his club side Manchester United. However, he has been in superb form so far in the competition and is a contender for the team of the tournament.

Alongside Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas and Jose Fuenzalida are expected to retain their places, thus completing a dynamic attacking trident. Meanwhile, Arturo Vidal and Charles Aranguiz are likely to be picked in the midfield. They both will play just ahead of defensive midfielder Eric Pulgar, who has been a revelation in the 2019 Copa America.

Finally, Reinaldo Rueda is likely to stick with the same experienced backline, consisting of Gary Medel and Gonzalo Maripan in the middle, with Jean Beausejour and Mauricio Isla providing the width.