Colombia and Qatar will get the second round of Group B matches underway in Sao Paulo on Wednesday.
Both teams will be more than happy with their respective starts to the tournament. Colombia beat Argentina 2-0 in their opening match whilst guest nation Qatar claimed a point with a 2-2 draw against Paraguay.
Colombia are looking like serious contenders after their win against Argentina. Some individual brilliance coupled with a solid team performance ensured that they opened their account with a win.
Roger Martinez opened the scoring with a stunning solo goal. He replaced the injured Luis Muriel in the first half and struck late on the game, firing the ball into the bottom right hand corner after cutting in from the left.
Another substitute, Duvan Zapata, came on in the 81st minute and wrapped up the game in the 86th. The Atalanta striker converted Jefferson Lerma’s low cross to seal the victory for Colombia.
Qatar were 2-0 down against Paraguay but second half goals from Almoez Ali and Boualem Khoukhi completed a spirited comeback.
Qatar had the majority of the possession and also completed more passes than Paraguay, with the South American side visibly stunned by Qatar’s efforts.
This will be the first ever meeting between Colombia and Qatar and there is a lot at stake for both sides. Colombia can all but secure top spot in Group B with a victory on Wednesday.
If Qatar can spring another surprise and pick up another point against Colombia, it would put them in a promising position to finish as one of the best third place teams.
Colombia will be without forward Luis Muriel for the remainder of the tournament. His 2019 Copa America campaign ended after just 14 minutes against Argentina and he is believed to have sustained knee ligament damage.
Diagnósticos médicos de los jugadores Luis Muriel y Wílmar Barrios. https://t.co/DrljBgRm0k pic.twitter.com/hYhkqbDH05— Selección Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) June 16, 2019
Diagnósticos médicos de los jugadores Luis Muriel y Wílmar Barrios. https://t.co/DrljBgRm0k pic.twitter.com/hYhkqbDH05
There are no injury worries for Qatar heading into their next match and they will be full of confidence after an impressive display in their first game against Paraguay.
Colombia will be a completely different test for Qatar and one that they are likely to fail. Colombia are a far stronger side and should breeze past Qatar and secure their spot in the quarter-finals.
Forebet predicts a comfortable win for Colombia.