The second set of fixtures in the Copa America concludes in the early hours of Saturday morning when Argentina host Panama in a match where the winners will not only have a major step into the quarter finals but will most likely to win Group D too.
Both sides won their opening match so even a defeat here isn’t the end for them but with two wins from two it would take a mathematical miracle to deny whoever wins a place in the quarter finals so there is plenty of incentive for both heading into the game.
The pre-tournament favourites had to do without their little magician Lionel Messi in the first match but that didn’t deter them as they were far too good for a disappointing Chile side. That sets them up nicely to win the group with their next two opponents of a much inferior standard to Chile on paper.
Gerardo Martino was allowed the luxury of getting his key players off with 15 minutes to go in the previous match so we can expect a fresh side to go out onto the pitch here. Such is the embarrassment of riches in this squad that Sergio Aguero could only find a place on the bench! Amazing depth in forward areas.
I was a little unsure what to expect of Panama going into the first game against Bolivia. I knew the style they would bring but whether they could employ that style and perform under the pressure of being favourites in a tournament of this enormity was a different story but they did and I was very impressed and enjoyed watching them.
Whether Panama can be as attack minded in this match remains to be seen. The football fan as a neutral in me hopes they are but surely they have to tighten up to keep their hopes of progressing alive. If they do have a go we should be in for a real spectacle.
Team News
The big news ahead of this match is that Lionel Messi has been passed fit to play. With Ever Banega scoring the second goal against Chile it could be Nicolas Gaitan who makes way for the Barcelona star. Sergio Aguero could get the nod ahead of Gonzalo Higuain too.
Panama have no reason to change their side after a perfectly accomplished performance in their first match but Luis Tejada made an impact off the bench which might have been enough to get him into the side. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are unchanged though.
Head to Head
This will be only the second meeting between these two nations. The first came in 2009 when Argentina won 3-1 in a friendly but this is by far their biggest meeting.
Betting
You would think Argentina will win this game and win it at a canter but they are being asked to cover a pretty big handicap and with winning the primary aim I don’t really want to get involved in that even though conditions should allow them to play with the freedom needed to express themselves enough to win in style.
I think this will be an open game. I’m not convinced that Panama can play any other way and if Bolivia are scoring against them Argentina should be good for goals and potentially a few of them so I’m surprised we can get 8/11 on over 2.5 goals here. We’ve seen two open games in this group and I fancy we’ll see another one here.
Tips
WON – Back Over 2.5 goals for a 4/10 stake at 1.73 with Bet365
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