Argentina return to the international stage for the first time since their World Cup final defeat to take on continental counterparts Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba.
Match News and Current Form
La Selección will return to the pitch after what’s been a tough few months for Argentine football fans, who’ll still be recovering from their devastating loss in the World Cup final to Spain and the subsequent fallout. Perhaps an even greater loss was announced thereafter, when the inevitable yet unthinkable international retirement of icon Lionel Messi was announced, with the all-time great set to make one final appearance when Argentina take on Benin on October 6th. Cristian Romero will succeed him as captain in the new era, and he’ll lead a team who won 14 straight matches before losing to Spain, with this upcoming game and one against Burkina Faso likely to put them in a positive mood ahead of Messi’s final appearance.
Bolivia make their way to Córdoba in rather horrendous form, having lost their last four games with just a single goal scored, serving as the tail end of a streak that features just two wins in their last 12 games (D1, L9). Those victories came against Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname and proved very little for the Greens, who are currently ranked 77th in the world according to FIFA. Coach Óscar Villegas prioritised youth in their international friendly against Paraguay at the weekend, which ended in a 2-0 defeat, showing there’s plenty of work to be done over the next few years if they’re to have any chance of qualifying for a World Cup for the first time since 1994 in 2030.
Head-to-Head History
Argentina have dominated the recent exchanges with nine wins in the last ten H2Hs (L1), keeping seven clean sheets along the way.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Five of Argentina’s last six matches saw both teams score.
Nine of Argentina’s last ten fixtures produced under 1.5 first-half goals.
Sixteen of Bolivia’s last 18 games featured under 3.5 goals.
Bolivia have scored in just two of their last ten matches as the designated away team.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Lautaro Martínez usually makes his presence felt, scoring either the first or the last goal in five of his last six goalscoring appearances for Argentina. Bolivia’s hopes of a major upset potentially rest on the shoulders of Miguelito, since he’s lost just two of his nine appearances for the national team when scoring (W6, D1).
Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was handed a ten-match ban by FIFA for the post World Cup final scuffle that occurred, while Bolivia will be without several regulars in the name of experimentation.
For all the latest team news, please check the ScoresStat match centre.
Betting Analysis
Argentina are overwhelming favourites to win here, so turning to the second half producing more goals than the first may be the play as they may take time to find their rhythm.
Author: Peter Stavrinou
