The last quarter-final of the 2021 Copa America sees Argentine and Ecuador go head-to-head at Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Despite failing to win a single group game, Ecuador booked their spot in the quarter-finals after finishing one point clear of last-place Venezuela in Group B.
#SelecciónMayor Práctica vespertina en el predio de #Ezeiza.¡Ajustando los últimos detalles! 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/aG6A4ihV5V— Selección Argentina 🇦🇷 (@Argentina) July 1, 2021
#SelecciónMayor Práctica vespertina en el predio de #Ezeiza.¡Ajustando los últimos detalles! 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/aG6A4ihV5V
Meanwhile, Argentina picked up three wins and one draw on their way to finishing three points clear of second-place Uruguay in Group A.
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Chile on Matchday 1 but recovered to secure three straight victories.
After seeing off both Uruguay and Paraguay 1-0, Argentina capped of a successful group-stage campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of Bolivia.
Lionel Messi has chalked up three goals and two assists in four games so far, underlining his importance to the team.
Having notched a 13-game unbeaten streak (seven wins, six draws) before the Copa America, Argentina have now avoided defeat in each of their last 17 encounters.
If you're looking for a half-time/full-time bet, it is worth noting that Argentina have managed to win both halves in each of their previous three matches.
On the other hand, Ecuador lost 1-0 to Colombia on Matchday 1 before registering three consecutive draws.
They recorded 2-2 draws with both Venezuela and Peru before picking up an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil last time out.
Although they only took three points from a possible 12 in Group B, Ecuador managed to qualify for the knockouts by the barest of margins.
Ecuador are carrying a poor record of just three wins in their last 23 away games. Unfortunately for them, they are away from home this weekend.
Head-to-head: In 36 meetings between the two nations over the years, Ecuador have only beaten Argentina five times.
Argentina have secured three straight wins over Ecuador, scoring a combined total of ten goals along the way (3.33 goals per game).
Team news: Argentina have no injury worries heading into the quarter-finals, meaning Sergio Aguero is likely to partner Messi in attack.
With 31 goals in 60 international appearances, Enner Valencia is Ecuador’s obvious goal threat. Can he lead his country to an unlikely victory?
With so much at stake, Argentina could struggle to extend their run of high-scoring wins over Ecuador. That said, they should be able to get the job done.
Forebet predicts that Argentina will score under 1.5 goals en route to seeing off Ecuador, keeping a clean sheet in the process.