As the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers draw close, South American champions Argentina take on Colombia in the latest set of qualifying games on February 2.
The 2014 World Cup finalists have already secured a top-two berth and are vying for pole position, currently held by Brazil. Colombia, on the other hand, are in a critical situation, and will most likely have to rely on other results going their way, in addition to winning their remaining three games.
The Colombians currently sit in sixth place, with 17 points in 15 games. Should other results be favourable to them, their goal difference is currently -2, which is better than their direct rivals, in the event of a tie between two teams. They lost 1-0 against Peru the previous week, which meant that the Peruvians now occupy fourth place.
Argentina are coming off a narrow win against rivals Chile in the previous round of fixtures, and with qualification guaranteed, they will be looking to test out different tactics and perhaps give a few young players an opportunity against the big teams. However, a cluster of Covid cases within the Argentina camp has left manager Lionel Scaloni in a little bit of a situation, as he has very limited options to choose from for Wednesday’s clash against Colombia.
Veteran Angel di Maria and Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez scored on either side of talented Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz’s goal to hand the Argentinians a hard-fought but morale-boosting victory over the gritty Chileans.
Meanwhile, Reinaldo Rueda’s side were sluggish on the pitch against Peru, particularly while going forward. The Colombians paid for their nonchalance, with substitute Edison Flores scoring a clutch 85th-minute winner to put his country where the Colombians would have expected themselves to be. The loss now means that the Colombians’ World Cup dreams are no longer in their control.
The game between the two sides will be a gritty encounter, as the Argentinians would be looking to extend their unbeaten record to 29 games, while the Colombians crave World Cup qualification.
Key players
Angel di Maria will definitely be one of the key men for Scaloni’s side. The stalwart winger has time and again proven his worth, controlling the play from midfield and also going forward to create and score important goals for his country.
Having come off a brilliant individual performance in the previous game that also included a goal, the versatile winger will definitely be one of the danger men for Argentina.
Emiliano Martinez is also an important player for the Argentinian squad heading into their qualifier game against the Colombians.
The forward was excellent when the two sides met in the 2021 Copa America, where he pulled off some remarkable saves in the penalty shootout to send his country into the finals of the tournament.
Luis Diaz will be one of the most crucial players on the pitch for the Colombians. Coming off a big-money move from Porto to Liverpool, the attacking forward is the highest scorer in the Primera Liga this season with 14 goals. Colombia will rely on him for the sting in their attack against Argentina.
The vastly experienced and versatile Juan Cuadrado will also be pivotal to Colombia’s chances against Argentina.
The Juventus veteran is brilliant defensively and going forward as well, and is also an expert at set pieces and penalties. Cuadrado will be crucial to Colombia’s fortunes as they take on the South American champions.
Prediction
Argentina head into the game with a host of unavailable players, especially after their encounter against Chile, where Rodrigo de Paul, Leandro Paredes, Nicolas Otamendi, and Nicolas Tagliafico all picked up one yellow card too many. They also have a few coronavirus cases in their midst, but some recoveries will be one of the positives for Scaloni’s side.
Colombia will also have to deal with a major blow, with central defender Yerry Mina suspended for the Argentina clash after returning to Everton following a series of bookings, earning him a suspension. James Rodriguez is likely to feature in midfield as he returns with Tottenham Hotspur star Davinson Sanchez.
Diaz, who equalised for his nation in the two sides’ Copa America clash a few months ago, will also definitely start, along with the vastly experienced striker Radamel Falcao.
The two sides met in the semi-finals of the Copa America. It was an extremely hard-fought and physical game between the two sides, as the clash headed into a penalty shootout after Diaz’s 61st minute strike cancelled out Lautaro Martinez’s early goal.
Emiliano Martinez pulled off some stunning saves in the shootout, as Argentina progressed. Although Argentina are missing quite a few key players, including Lionel Messi, they will start as slight favourites against an under-pressure Colombian squad
