Bolivia vs Argentina live on June 28, 2021: Will La Albiceleste win final tie ahead of Copa America quarter-finals?

June 28, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Bolivia, Argentina, Copa America

Messi and Co. look to win their group when they take on La Verde. Here's a preview of Monday's showdown between the two-time World Cup champions and Bolivia.

Preview

Argentina are preparing for their fourth and final fixture of the 2021 Copa America group stage, with the continental giants set to wrap up the first round with a showdown with Bolivia. This Monday clash will kick off at 8 p.m.ET at the Arena Pantanal as La Albiceleste embark on one goal and one goal only: to win their group.

The two-time World Cup champions have already booked their ticket to the quarter-finals, currently sitting top of their group with two wins out of three games. However, unlike in Group B where Brazil ran away with the top spot, things are tighter in Group A, with only three points separating first-placed Messi and Co. from the fourth-placed Uruguay.

After kicking off their campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Chile, a game which saw Lionel Scaloni's side squander several opportunities and a first-half lead to share points with La Roja, the Argentines quickly bounced back. A hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay came next, quickly followed by a victory over Paraguay by an identical score line.

Chile, who are third, have already played four times and have thus wrapped up their group stage campaign. Second-placed Paraguay and fourth-placed Uruguay, the only two other teams that can mathematically leapfrog Argentina, will lock horns on the final day. This means only one team can overtake La Albiceleste in the standings and it's crucial La Pulga and his boys avoid this at all cost as the difference between finishing first and finishing second is taking on Ecuador or facing Colombia in the quarter-finals.

Scaloni's side will need to drastically improve, however. Despite beating Uruguay and outplaying Chile regardless of the one-all draw, Messi and Co. are yet to wow fans. The common trend throughout their three group-stage fixtures was get an early goal before losing control of the game, opting instead to defend the one-goal lead with their lives.

Fortunately for them, Bolivia have been nothing but atrocious in this tournament. La Verde have lost all three of their previous games and are thus already eliminated due to their zero points tally. Cesar Farias's side have managed to score only once while conceding six goals, losing 3-1 to Paraguay, 1-0 to Chile, and 2-0 to Uruguay in their most recent fixture. As a result, the 1963 Copa America winners have failed to make the knockout stage for the eighth time in nine appearances since their runners-up finish in 1997.

Team news

Bolivia: Marcelo Moreno and Henry Vaca have been out due to COVID-19 but have since recovered and are in line to feature. Whether the two start from the get-go or come off the bench remains unclear. Elsewhere, La Verde have no fresh concerns.

Argentina: Scaloni has no injury worries but might opt to rest a few players, namely the above-30 superstars Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero. Lautaro Martinez and Rodrigo De Paul will likely return to the lineup after sitting out the 1-0 victory over Paraguay.

Key stats

Bolivia have only one win from their last five competitive showdowns with Argentina.
The aggregate score line of those five run-ins has been 14-3 to La Albiceleste.
While only two teams have scored fewer goals in this tournament than Messi and Co. (3) – Venezuela and Bolivia with two goals and one goal each – Scaloni's men boast the joint-top defensive, having conceded only once – level with Brazil.