Brazil vs Argentina 03/07/19

3 July 2019

A massive Copa America semi-final showdown that will take place at Mineirão at midweek will see two arch-rivals battling it out for the big final as Brazil take on Argentina.

Having finished top of Group A (W2, D1), the host nation secured their place in the semi-final after beating Peru on penalties after their quarter-finals clash ended in a goalless draw. The Brazilians are the only team that has yet to concede a goal at the tournament, having allowed just five shots on target in the previous four outings (W2, D2). However, Tite’s potential worry ahead of this massive showdown could be Brazil’s lackluster performances in the final third that saw them fail to find the net on two occasions already. If the Selecao win here, it may see Argentina struggle to score, as ten of Brazil’s 11 wins in the post-World Cup period saw them beat their rivals to nil. Moreover, all three of Brazil’s previous victories over Argentina have not witnessed goals at both ends.

Meanwhile, the Argentineans have failed to live up to expectations during the group stage, having finished second in Group B (W1, D1, L1). However, La Celeste battled their way to the semi-finals thanks to a comfortable 2-0 win over Venezuela in the quarter-finals. Interestingly, three of Argentina’s four matches at the tournament have ended with the identical 2-0 scoreline (W2, L1), with two of those games witnessing goals in both halves. Still, Argentina’s matches in the post-World Cup period have been short of entertainment, as nine of their 13 outings since returning from Russia have featured under 2.5 goals, with just two of them seeing both team score.