Monday, July 15, 2024. Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia. 1-0 to Argentina with a goal by Lautaro Martínez in the 112th minute. Argentina are champions once again.
The spotlight will now be on the Estadio Metropolitano this Tuesday as Colombia and Argentina meet for the first time since their Copa America final clash in July. Argentina came out on top that day with Lautaro Martinez's extra-time goal, sealing their remarkable fourth trophy in just four years.
The teams are battling for a spot in the 2026 World Cup, with both nations favored to secure their place in the world's biggest football tournament. However, Colombia is still chasing a win over Argentina, led by their Argentine coach, Nestor Lorenzo—the very man who guided them to the Copa America final.
That Copa America final marked Colombia's first in 23 years, with Nestor Lorenzo having revitalized the team since his appointment in the summer of 2022. The loss to Argentina in the final was Lorenzo's first defeat after 26 matches in charge, and Colombia’s first since their previous loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
But the Colombian team does not seem to be in its best form. Los Cafeteros is coming off a 1-1 draw against Peru, while Argentina heads into the match after a commanding 3-0 victory over Chile just a few days ago.
As mentioned earlier, Nestor Lorenzo's team fell to Argentina in extra time during the Copa America final. Remarkably, Colombia hasn't lost in regular time in their last 30 matches. Interestingly, their last 90-minute defeat also came at the hands of Argentina, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers.
In their last seven matches, the Colombians have displayed excellent form. Colombia has earned 13 points and currently sits in third place in the standings.
James Rodriguez only started on the bench against Peru having not played any minutes since the Copa final, but the new Rayo Vallecano signing should start here and captain the side here after getting 45 minutes under his belt.
Liverpool's Diaz is the man to watch following his excellent start to the campaign, scoring the equaliser on Friday after entering the break with three goals and an assist in his first three Premier League games of the season.
COLOMBIA predicted lineup vs ARGENTINA: Vargas (GK); Munoz, Lucumi, Mina, Mojica; Rios, Lerma, Arias; James, Duran, Diaz.
Argentina has been nothing short of unstoppable in their World Cup 2026 qualifying run, claiming six wins out of seven, with their only stumble being a 0-2 loss to Uruguay. Lionel Scaloni's squad made a powerful statement with a commanding 3-0 victory over Chile on the 6th of July, netting all their goals in the second half.
Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, and Paulo Dybala found the net as Argentina cruised past a struggling Chile side. Lionel Scaloni's team now sits on 18 points out of a possible 21.
For Colombia, Argentina remains a constant thorn in their side. It was Argentina who last defeated Colombia before their impressive unbeaten streak, and it was again Argentina that brought an end to that run in the Copa America final.
However, Argentina will be without their talisman Lionel Messi, who is still recovering from the ankle injury sustained in that very final against Colombia. In addition to Messi’s absence, key players like defensive stalwarts Nicolas Tagliafico and Leonardo Balerdi are also sidelined due to injury. Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen joins them on the bench, while Fiorentina's Lucas Martinez Quarta has been dropped from the squad.
ARGENTINA predicted lineup vs COLOMBIA: E Martinez (GK); Molina, Otamendi, Romero, Li Martinez; De Paul, Mac Allister, En Fernandez, Lo Celso; Alvarez, La Martinez.
The upcoming clash between Colombia and Argentina carries a lot of weight, not only because of their recent rivalry but also due to their impressive form. Interestingly, five of the last six matches between these two teams have been tight affairs, each producing two or fewer goals. Their most recent encounter came in the Copa America final earlier this year, where Argentina triumphed 1-0 after extra time.
Colombia heads into this match with a solid record in their last 10 competitive games, boasting 6 wins, 1 loss, and 3 draws. Key to their attack is Luis Diaz, who has netted 5 goals during this run. Supporting him are Jefferson Lerma, Jhon Cordoba, and Daniel Munoz, each contributing 2 goals. Despite their strong form, Colombia will be keen to break Argentina’s stranglehold, having been edged out by them in recent encounters.
Argentina, on the other hand, has been in exceptional form. With 9 wins and only 1 loss in their last 10 competitive outings, the Albiceleste are showing why they remain one of the powerhouses of world football. Lautaro Martinez leads their scoring charts with 5 goals, while Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi have added 3 each. Behind them, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been a rock, keeping 5 clean sheets during this period. Their ability to score on the road has been equally impressive, having netted 2 or more goals in 7 of their past 10 away matches.
Winning away is tough in CONMEBOL, but Argentina has an impressive away record, unbeaten in 13 qualifiers since a defeat in Bolivia’s altitude seven years ago.
Given Argentina’s incredible form and the defensive heroics of Emiliano Martinez, it’s hard to see them defeated. They’ve shown time and again that they have what it takes to secure victories, even away from home. With all signs pointing toward another Argentine triumph, Colombia will need something special to overturn their recent fortunes against the Albiceleste.
