Argentina-Ecuador is a match valid for the quarterfinals of the Copa America and is played Friday at 03:00 (Italian time): stats, probable formations, predictions.
Drawn by the goals of a relentless Lautaro Martinez – four in 3 games for the Inter Milan center forward, capable of stealing the show from Leo Messi – Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America without taking too many risks. The defending champions won all three group stage matches and did so with outstanding numbers that attest to their unchallenged superiority: five goals scored and not even one conceded.
Is this the prelude to an encore, since – Colombia aside – no one has convinced like the Albiceleste so far? We’ll see. Certainly the difficulty coefficient in Group A – in addition to freshman Canada included Peru and Chile, both far from the glories of the past – was very low, and we need to wait for more probing tests to see if Lionel Scaloni’s selection has entered “Qatar 2022” mode and is ready to add another trophy to its trophy case. The fact is that the 2-0 thrashing of the Peruvians last Saturday was the eighth consecutive success for Messi and his teammates: since the resounding defeat in the first Qatari World Cup match with Saudi Arabia, Argentina has only had one knockout, last November with Uruguay. The world champions’ opponent in the quarterfinals is Ecuador, which surprisingly finished second behind surprising Venezuela in Group B.
The Tricolor, after a handicap start with the Venezuelans – a match “decided” by Enner Valencia’s sending-off after the first few minutes of play – beat Jamaica 3-1 and drew 0-0 with Mexico.
Four points, in short, were enough to get through the round and to continue dreaming of that semifinal that has been missing since 1993. The feeling is that Ecuador did the bare minimum, and Spanish coach Felix Sanchez Bas was not exempt from criticism, guilty of making the defensive phase more “vulnerable” (20 were the shots he conceded in the match against Mexico) with his possession-focused game. The Tricolor’s technical commissioner should not change much from last Saturday, while Scaloni is grappling with the doubt Messi. La Pulce missed the match with Peru and may not take the field.
The prediction
Ecuador has lost six times to Argentina in the last seven previous matches and hasn’t beaten them since 2015. Messi or no Messi, it is hard to imagine a different outcome other than an Albiceleste victory. Scaloni’s selection should be able to keep their goal unbeaten again against an Ecuador that so far has never convinced.
Share comparison
Argentina’s win is listed at 1.48 on Goldbet, Lottomatica and at 1.45 on Snai. The “No Goal” sign, on the other hand, is quoted at 1.47 on Goldbet, Lottomatica and Snai.
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Argentina-Ecuador lineup probables
ARGENTINA (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Di Maria, De Paul, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
ECUADOR (4-2-3-1): Dominguez; Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Franco, M. Caicedo; Yeboah, Paez, Sarmiento; Valencia.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
