Copa America 2019, Brazil vs Argentina: Prediction
The prayers of the football fans around the globe have been answered as the World will once again witness an Argentina-Brazil match in Copa America after a decade.
Both the sides have witnessed contradicting fortunes since their last meeting in Maracaibo, Venezuela way back in the final of the 2007 edition.
The decade since that fatal day has seen the Albiceleste building on their success with three back to back finals, twice against Chile in the last two finals and once against Germany in the World Cup final.
The talented generation though started to show glimpses of vulnerability ever since. The 14-time Copa America winners went out in the pre-quarterfinals of the World Cup before scrapping through to the semi-finals of this year's Copa America.
Albiceleste has been far from convincing this tournament. The defence has yet again been poor and the midfield are yet to find the right combination.
The attacking side of the team wasn't up to the mark in the first two matches but a slight change in the lineup has seen the strikers finding the goals for the two-time World Cup winners.
The addition of Lautaro Martinez in the lineup, alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, has reaped rewards with the Inter Milan man scoring twice for the Albiceleste.
A single man though can change the game in favour of the Albiceleste despite being the underdogs in the match. Lionel Messi who is yet to fully arrive in this tournament can finally make a statement of interest against Argentina's biggest rival.
Argentina will need to strengthen their midfield and hope that they produce one of their best defensive displays if they need to progress to the finals.
On the contrary, the Selecao have had their fall from grace since the dream team of early 2000s.
The Yellow Canaries failed to reach the finals in the next three Copa America tournaments as well as the two World Cups. The class of 2019 though looks primed to let Brazilian dominate the World of Football yet again.
The eight-time Copa America winners enjoyed a solid start to the campaign but were booed off the pitch in their scoreless draw against Venezuela. The Selecao then turned up the heat against Peru as they scored five past the hapless side.
The biggest victory for the Yellow Canaries would be their victory over their bogey team for the last three editions, Paraguay.
Dani Alves and his men had to wait till the shootout to get past their opponents on a night when Brazil won the match, despite Firmino dragging his shot wide from 12 yards.
The record World Cup winners have looked better as the tournament has progressed. Philippe Coutinho has looked more like the player that we are more accustomed to rather than the one that is being benched in Barcelona.
Brazil, on paper, already have an upper hand against their opponents with one of the best attacking threats in the world.
The Brazilian attackers are likely to be more than a handful for the Albiceleste who have been poor at the back all this tournament.
Prediction: Brazil 3-1 Argentina