Argentina vs Chile - Qualification World Cup 2014

Another International Break is upon us and also signifies the start of World Cup Qualifying for CONMEBOL, the South American region competes in a single table format with the top four sided earning a place in the FIFA World Cup whilst the 5 th place team goes into a two legged playoff with the 5 th place team in the AFC (Asian region). With Brazil qualifying as hosts it creates a big opening for one or two nations to earn a spot, this match sees two premier nations collide as Argentina hosts Chile at Estadio El Monumental in Buenos Aries.

Argentina comes into this match having moved on from a disastrous 2011 Copa America that ultimately saw coach Sergio Batista replaced by Alejandro Sabella. Under the new manager they have played three matches with completely different squads, beating Nigeria 3-1 in Bangladesh and playing Brazil on two occasions in the Superclasico de las Americas drawing 0-0 and losing 2-0. For the most part those matches were played by domestically based players and were an opportunity to look at young talent, however it’s back to the tried and true for World Cup Qualifying and the squad has a mix of superstar talent with players on good form. It all begins and ends with captain Lionel Messi who is playing out of his skin at the moment and will look to bring that good form to the national team, however with Carlos Tevez dealing with his well publicized issues and Man City teammate Sergio Aguero picking up an injury it sees the likes of Rodrigo Palacio and Germán Denis get the call. Other then the aforementioned Lionel Messi the Argentine player to watch would has to be Javier Pastore, who is scoring in bunches for Paris Saint-Germain and has breathed new life into France’s Ligue 1. If there is one central weakness Argentina have it’s in defense, none of the players on the backline will frighten opposition but the one player that may be key to holding everything together is Nicolás Burdisso. It’s a shame that Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi wasn’t named to the squad this time around, it would have been intriguing to see how he worked with Lionel Messi, Javier Pastore and Gonzalo Higuaín.

As for Chile, they come into this match having put in good performances in friendly matches against France, Spain and Mexico. On the face of it going 0-2-1 in three matches doesn’t sound good but it was more about the overall performances then the end result giving the Chileans a solid base going into World Cup Qualifying, playing all three matches away from home for starters will have helped the team bond and build trust. The squad has responded well to coach Claudio Borghi who while doesn’t deploy the same attacking style or unique 3-1-3-3 formation like his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa he hasn’t completely abandoned the work that was done opting instead to build on it. The one overwhelming absence from this squad is forward Alexis Sanchez who is still out due to injury, however Mauricio Isla, Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Pinilla are all playing well for their respective Italian Serie A clubs. It’s interesting that Vidal is played as a midfielder for his club sides but for his country he occasionally plays as a defender, his versatility allows Chile to play different combinations of players and place him in specific position depending on the situation in the match. Another integral part to this side is the play of defensive midfielder Gary Medel, while his quick temper and aggressive approach can get him into trouble and in many cases sent off it’s also what gives this team some much needed bite and attitude.

I think this will be a close one and don’t believe Argentina are the massive favorites that the odds make it look, I think we get great value taking Chile against the spread with Argentina’s defense looking vulnerable and Chile with an abundance off underrated attacking talent even without Alexis Sanchez.

Head to Head :
Last Meeting : 16. October 2008 Chile vs Argentina 1-0
Wins Argentina : 6
Wins Chile : 3
Draws : 4

Possible Line-Ups :
Argentina : Andujar - Zabaleta, Otamendi, Burdisso, Rojo - Brana, Banega - Di Maria, Pastore, Messi - Higuain.
Chile : Bravo - Jara, Ponce, Gonzalez - Isla, Carmona, Vidal, Beausejour - Fernandez - Pinilla, Suazo.

Betting tip/Prediction :
Our prediction : Home