ARGENTINA have strolled through most of their Copa America title defence but will need to hit top gear in the final to defeat a Colombian side who have looked hugely impressive.
If Ecuador hadn't scored a last-gasp leveller in the quarter-finals and taken the Argentines to penalties, the holders would have reached the showpiece without conceding a goal.
But they've had a favourable draw and haven't really taken on one of South America's big boys yet. Colombia will certainly provide them with a stiffer test, having scored 12 times on their march to the final.
Nestor Lorenzo's men defied the odds to top a group that included Brazil then blitzed Panama with a 5-0 rout in the quarter-finals.
They then showed so much character to grind out a 1-0 win over Uruguay in the semis, with Colombia playing the entire second half with 10 men.
That resolve will be tested again in the final as world champions Argentina look to continue their dominance of the Americas.
How the bookies view it: Holders tipped to reign again
Argentina are just 4/7 with Betfred to retain their trophy but the odds increase to 23/2o if you back them to win in 90 minutes. Colombia are 5/4 to come out on top and 12/5 to finish the job without extra time. The full-time stalemate pays 15/8.
Head to head: It dozen look good for Colombia
Argentina beat Colombia on penalties in the semi-final of the last Copa America and followed that up with a 1-0 victory in World Cup qualifying. The Colombians haven't had a good record in this fixture of late, with just one win in the last 12 meetings.
Players to watch: Messi out to complete the hat-trick
Having wait so long to taste international glory with Argentina, Lionel Messi now stands on the verge of three successive triumphs. The little magician delivered for our man Andy when he scored in the semi-final and his odds are more appealing for a goal in the final at 9/5 with Betfred.
Colombia have been spreading the goals around, with four players sitting on two strikes for the tournament. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is among that number and he's 100/300 for another goal, which looks a little overpriced.
Probable teams
The biggest decision for Lionel Scaloni is who starts up front for Argentina. Lautaro Martinez is the tournament's top scorer with four goals but has been mostly a sub and Julian Alvarez got the nod once more for the semi-final. With the Manchester City star scoring, he should keep his place for the final.
Colombia will be without Crystal Palace full-back Daniel Munoz after his red card in that stormy win over Uruguay.
Argentina: Martinez, Molina, Romero, Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez
Colombia: Vargas, S Arias, Cuesta, Sanchez, Mojica, Rios, Lerma, J Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz, Cordoba
Anything else catch the eye?
Colombia's fiery semi-final brought up one of Wednesday's super singles as seven yellows and a red were flashed by the referee. The final has the potential to be spicy too so try going for booking points once that market is priced up.
The showpiece pits the meanest defence at the tournament against the deadliest attack so it's hard to predict if we will see a lot of goals. But backing BTTS appeals at 11/10 given Colombia have been scoring freely and it ended 1-1 when these sides met in the semi-final of the last tournament.
It should be a tight match and the half-time draw looks a good option, although the odds aren't great at 10/11.
Betfred boosted odds for Argentina v Colombia
We've reached the final of Copa America 2024 and ahead of the big final, Betfred have prepared a few price boosts for specific markets. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at them:
The first market with boosted odds is for Argentina to Win in 90 Minutes and Both Teams to Score, which went from 9/2 to 11/2. While we didn't see both teams score in many of the games played by these two teams at Copa America, this is the final and both teams will go hard for a win, so we do like this boost.
There are also a couple of boosts for Anytime Goalscorer markets, one for Lionel Messi (from 7/4 to 2/1) and one for Luiz Diaz (from 7/2 to 9/2). Remember that goals scored in extra time also count.
This Copa America match between Argentina and Colombia will be played on Jul 15, 2024 and kick off at 01:00. Check below for our tipsters best Argentina vs Colombia prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
