Argentina will play their first match since winning the Copa America this weekend when they take on Chile as part of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
The tournament is now less than two years away and as the current holders, Argentina will have their eyes firmly set on securing qualification as quickly as possible.
While qualification is already all but qualified for Lionel Scaloni's men, the situation is less certain for Chile. They are currently third from bottom in the South American qualifying group and need to start picking up points quickly.
How the bookies view it: Argentina go in as heavy favourites
Argentina are the heavy favourites for this one which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone considering their form over the past couple of years. Betfred have priced the Argentina win at 3/10 while a win for Chile has been priced at 8/1. The draw, which would be a step in the right direction for the away side, has been priced at 7/2.
Recent head-to-head: Ominous signs for Chile
Chile's recent record against Argentina is rather bleak and won't fill them with any confidence at all ahead of the match on Friday. Argentina are unbeaten inside 90 minutes in their last 13 matches against Chile, although two of those matches did end in victory for Chile via a penalty shootout.
The last time Chile defeated Argentina in 90 minutes was in 2008 when they beat the current world champions 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. However, they have never tasted victory before on Argentinian soil so they are seeking history on Friday.
Players to watch: Stepping into the shoes of legends
Argentina vs Chile has been a fixture over the past 10-15 years that has often been billed as Alexis Sanchez vs Lionel Messi. On Friday, however, neither of these two footballing icons will take to the field as they are both recovering from injury.
It means that there will be an opportunity for certain players to step into the limelight and prove they can be the new leading men for their nations. For Argentina, the mantle will fall on the shoulders of Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. The duo have had to rotate in recent times but will be given the opportunity to line up together this weekend.
For Chile, the pressure for creating and scoring goals will be put on Ben Brereton-Diaz. The Southampton forward has often saved his best form for the national team and the opportunity to score away in Argentina will be on that he is relishing.
Predicted line-ups
Messi isn't the only injury absentee for Argentina as Nicolas Tagliafico and Leonardo Balerdi are also both ruled out. There is plenty of interest in Chile's squad as Alexis Sanchez isn't the only veteran to miss out. Claudio Bravo has announced his retirement from international football while Arturo Vidal and Gary Medel have both been dropped.
Argentina: E.Martinez – Molina, Romero, Li.Martinez, Barco – Fernandez, De Paul, Mac Allister – Garnacho, La.Martinez, Alvarez
Chile: Arias – Isla, Lichnovsky, Maripan, Mena – Pulgar, Nunez, Echeverria – Osorio, Vargas, Brereton-Diaz
Anything else catch the eye?
Chile have become quite a dogged team in recent times and only one goal has been scored in their last three matches. Argentina's entire system under Scaloni has been built around Messi so they could be a little disjointed here from an attacking perspective. Under 2.5 goals to be scored has been priced at 5/6 with Betfred.
This World Cup match between Argentina and Chile will be played on Sep 6, 2024 and kick off at 01:00. Check below for our tipsters best Argentina vs Chile prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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