Argentina Predicted Lineup vs. Colombia For Copa América Final

The 48th edition of Copa América will crown its champions at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night, but will Argentina retain their title, hoisting the trophy aloft for a record-breaking 16th time, or can Colombia capture the Copa for only the second time in their entire history? This is the Last Word on Football predicted lineup for Argentina.

Argentina Predicted Lineup Vs Canada

How Argentina Have Lined up Recently

Lionel Scaloni has utilised all 23 outfield members of his squad at this tournament, helped partially by the fact their third group game against Peru was a dead rubber. But when it’s come to these key knockout phase matches, he’s relied on a much smaller core of players.

In Tuesday’s semi-final against Canada, Julián Álvarez was back in from the start leading the line, chosen over Lautaro Martínez, who’s extremely likely to be presented with the golden boot at full-time.

At right-back, Gonzalo Montiel was back in, displacing Nahuel Molina, while Ángel Di María also returned to the starting lineup in New Jersey, set to make his 145th Argentina appearance, only Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano have more, having suggested he’ll retire from international football after this tournament.

Scaloni will continue to deploy a lopsided 4-4-2, in which one of the wingers, in this case Di María, although it’s also been Nicolás González, gets forward to join the attack – while the other, most likely Alexis Mac Allister, is ostensibly a central midfielder, shifting to a 4-3-3 in possession.

Argentina Recent Form and Tactics

Having won the Copa América in 2021 and then the World Cup the following year, Argentina are seeking to go back-to-back-to-back, something they’ve never previously achieved in the modern era, and this team will take some stopping.

On Tuesday, la Albiceleste proved to be too strong for Canada in the semi-finals at MetLife Stadium, with Julián Álvarez bursting in behind to break the deadlock mid-way through the first half, before Lionel Messi, belatedly, opened his account at this edition soon after half time, diverting Enzo Fernández’s shot beyond Maxime Crépeau.

Lionel Scaloni’s side were taken to penalties by Ecuador in the quarter-finals, Emi Martínez the shootout hero in Houston, as he has a habit of doing, but have largely cruised through this tournament, without yet facing a fellow heavyweight, something that’ll change in Miami Gardens.

Nevertheless, since being dumped out of the 2019 Copa by Brazil at the Mineirão five years ago, this team have lost just two of 62 fixtures, including friendlies, their sole defeats coming at the hands of Saudi Arabia in Qatar and Uruguay at La Bombonera during a World Cup qualifier last year.

This team tends to dominate possession but, given that Colombia are unbeaten in 28 matches, winning 12 of their last 13, that may be a tougher task in this final.

Argentina Injuries to Consider

Nicolás Tagliafico will continue at left-back given that Marcos Acuña, who began the competition as first-choice, came off after just seven minutes against Chile and hasn’t featured in any of the three games subsequently due to injury.