Copa America: already qualified, Argentina aims for an 8th consecutive win!

Argentina’s young stars are set to take the chance to shine during the Copa America fixture against Peru after handing Chile their cold vengeance. The reigning champions have already qualified for the quarter-finals, following their well-deserved 1-0 victory over Chile last Wednesday. That gives manager Lionel Scaloni the chance to experiment with his team and he hopes his young players can seize the opportunity against La Blanquirroja to extend their 7-game unbeaten run.

While the La Albiceleste will be looking for their eighth consecutive win in this game, the race to qualify for the knockouts is still intense. But can Peru end Argentina’s seven-game unbeaten run to join the Copa America defending champions in the next stage or will La Albiceleste extend their record?

Here’s a preview of Argentina’s match against Peru as the race for the knockout stage intensifies.

Argentina vs Peru match preview

Whether they win, lose, or draw, Lionel Messi will lead Argentina to another knockout round in what might be his last Copa America tournament. The La Albiceleste secured a spot in the knockout following their narrow 1-0 win over a resilient Chile squad that kept the game even at 0-0 for a long time. However, Lautaro Martinez took the all-important strike with two minutes left late to secure their and consequently a spot in the next round.

Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in their opening match, meaning they haven’t conceded any goals in the 2024 Copa America competition. The defending champions last lost a match against Uruguay in the World Cup Qualifiers and that defeat remains their only loss since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With this impressive form, Argentina will win over Peru to extend their unbeaten run.

Peru faced Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers last October, suffering a 2-0 loss at home. That was the third successive defeat that Peru endured against Argentina. The La Blanquirroja have only defeated Lionel Messi and his company only once in their last 18 meetings. Additionally, they are yet to taste victory in their 2024 Copa America campaign after recording a goalless draw against Chile and a 1-0 defeat by Canada.

Notably, Peru hasn’t scored any goals in their last four games and they risk exiting the tournament goalless if they don’t find the next against Argentina. They will also need to win this fixture if they are to qualify for the next round.

Argentina vs Peru team analysis

During their last game against Chile, manager Lionel Scaloni confirmed that fans can expect multiple changes in this game. Scaloni plans to give players who have featured in any games some play time. That might suggest that Scaloni will rest Messi, who reportedly got hamstring discomfort for Chile’s game. As such, fans can expect to see players like Lucas Quarta, Alejandro Garnacho, and Exequiel Palacios as they haven’t played any games in the competition.

On the other side, Peru will be playing without Miguel Araujo after he was sent off during their midweek clash against Canada. That makes Anderson Santamaria the best candidate to replace Araujo in their three-man defense featuring Alexander Callens and Carlos Zambrano.