Argentina will begin their defense of their World Cup when they host Ecuador on Thursday. Ecuador made it to the finals in Qatar as well. The CONMEBOL now has six automatic spots and an additional playoff berth on top. The nation will be sure that it will make it to another tournament.
Preview (Argentina vs. Ecuador)
Lionel Scaloni will hope his team can maintain their impressive unbeaten streak. This will be Argentina’s first competitive encounter following the World Cup final. In the opening match of their group in Qatar, Saudi Arabia snapped a remarkable 36-game unbeaten record that saw them remain unbeaten throughout a qualifying section for the first time since the competition’s format changed for the 1998 World Cup. Argentina, however, has won all 10 of its games since that shocking loss, including the six games that followed at the World Cup and four subsequent friendlies.
The majority of the team that competed in Qatar is still on the roster, and Scaloni is still in control. La Albiceleste should continue operations as usual. With 13 goals scored in previous friendly matches, Panama, Curacao, Australia, and Indonesia were all defeated to nil, but this will be a far stiffer test. Argentina’s World Cup qualifying should go considerably more smoothly as a result of the extended tournament. There shouldn’t be a repetition of their narrow escape in 2018 qualifying. They were the joint-second lowest scorers on the continent and couldn’t secure their spot until the final day.
They have a worse record at the Copa America, having lost nine finals and seven group stage matches since 1999. Ecuador has only triumphed three times in the 30 games they have played in the competition since 1999. In 2021 they even advanced to the quarterfinals without picking up a victory.
Team News
Messi will likely win his 176th cap for Argentina as Scaloni is expected to start the same squad that faced France in the World Cup final. The most noticeable injury absences from the team are Paulo Dybala and Emi Buendia, while Lisandro Martinez is still there despite leaving the game early for Manchester United over the weekend. Both Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez have been on fire so far this season, giving Scaloni a selection dilemma in the attack. Galindez is competing for a spot with fellow 36-year-old Alexander Dominguez, one of just two players from the World Cup-winning team still in the lineup.
Enner Valencia, a brilliant player who joined Internacional and is still in excellent form, is the other man still standing. Valencia continued his impressive run in front of goal. He scored three goals in the World Cup and 33 goals for Fenerbahce last season. His three goals helped his team defeat Bolivar last month in their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal. Given his stellar start with Brighton & Hove Albion, Pervis Estupinan is perhaps the most in-form left-back in the world right now for Ecuador. However, if Messi starts on the right, Estupinan may have a difficult challenge ahead of him.
Argentina will go into their opening qualifying match expecting to win all three games, especially with home-field advantage and a potent roster at Scaloni’s disposal. In 2015, Ecuador defeated La Albiceleste in Argentina, but that was the only time they ever defeated them away from home. As a result, they will enter this matchup as significant underdogs.
Argentina 3 – 0 Ecuador
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