Argentina vs Guatemala: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

Argentina take on Guatemala in their final friendly game in preparation for the upcoming Copa America, which they are looking to defend.

Date: 15/06/24

Kick-off time: 01:00

Venue: FedExField

After winning Copa America in 2021, Argentina are looking to lift the trophy for the second time in a row, and 16th time in their history. Led by Lionel Messi once more, they are one of the firm favourites to do so. They face Guatemala in a final friendly to allow manager Lionel Scaloni one last look at his players ahead of their opener against Canada.

Guatemala will not be taking part in Copa America, but are currently competing in World Cup qualification. They have been inconsistent scoring nine in their last three, but failing to score a single goal in the five games prior. They have kept clean sheets in four of their last seven, though.

They will find it difficult to get on the scoresheet against a dominant Argentinian defence. In their last 13 fixtures they have conceded just one goal, which came against Costa Rica. During this stretch they have scored 30, highlighting their quality at both ends of the pitch. Messi is in the midst of an MLS season in which he has scored 12 goals so far. He will expect to bring this excellent form into his national team performances. Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez will go head-to-head for the striker role in the team, both performing well this season combining for 35 league goals for Inter Milan and Manchester City.

There have only ever been three previous meetings between Argentina and Guatemala, with the first coming in 1990, a goalless draw. Unsurprisingly, Argentina have won the two games since, with their opponents still searching for a first win. All three fixtures have been international friendlies, with them yet to meet in a competitive setting. The last game was in 2018, which Argentina winning 3-0. Gonzalo Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso and Giovanni Simeone were the goalscorers on this day. The other game ended 4-0, a result which included a Lionel Messi hat-trick.

Argentina

Lionel Messi once again headlines a strong Argentina squad, of which the majority were involved in the 2022 World Cup win. There is lots of Premier League representation, including Emi Martinez, Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez.

Guatemala

Guatemala are likely to be led in attack by Queretaro forward Rubio Rubin. Current Derby County player Nathaniel Mendez-Laing will also expect to be in the squad.

Argentina

In their last five games, Argentina have won four and lost one. It has been a dominant stretch for Argentina as focus shifts completely to the upcoming Copa America. The first game of this run was a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay. Argentina were by far the superior side in both possession and attempts, but Uruguay took advantage of their only two shots on target. Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo bagged the opener, before Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez doubled the lead late on.

They responded well to this with a 1-0 win over their rivals Brazil. There was not much to split the two teams, but Nicolas Otamendi’s 63rd minute goal proved the difference. Joelinton saw red late for Brazil. El Salvador were their next opponents, and Argentina comfortably won 3-0. The final scoreline flattered their visitors, as they enjoyed 80% of the ball and attempted 24 shots to El Salvador’s two. Cristian Romero broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, before Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez added another on the stroke of half-time. Giovani Lo Celso scored just after the restart to compete the scoring. They then faced Costa Rica, beating them 3-1. They fell behind in the first half, but fought back with goals from Angel Di Maria, Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez.

Their most recent game was a friendly against Ecuador, in which they won 1-0 with a goal from Angel Di Maria.

Guatemala

In their last five games, Guatemala have won two, drawn two and drawn one. It had been a difficult stretch for Guatemala, as they struggled to string together some positive results until recently. They began this run with defeat against Ecuador, losing 2-0. John Yeboah’s goal saw them fall behind early, but they managed to keep it at one for the majority of the game. However, they conceded another late on to Gonzalo Plata, which put the game to bed.

They responded with a goalless draw with Venezuela in a friendly. It was an even game in which neither side came close to making a breakthrough. In their next game, they drew once more, but managed to get on the scoresheet in a 1-1 tie with Nicaragua. Rubio Rubin put them ahead in the 11th minute, but this was cancelled out on the hour mark by a Harold Medina penalty. Nicaragua had a man sent off to give Guatemala a chance to win the game, but they failed to take advantage of the extra player.

Finally they picked up a victory in World Cup qualifying against Dominica, as they emphatically won 6-0. Alejandro Galindo scored a goal in each half, and this added to strikes from Allen Yanes, Rubin, Jose Martinez and Jose Morales to complete the rout. They played another World Cup qualifier in their most recent game against the British Virgin Islands. They won 3-0, with Oscar Castellanos, Rubin and Jose Carlos Pinto on the scoresheet.

Argentina have been largely dominant in recent games, and this should continue against an inferior Guatemala side. They are amongst the favourites to win Copa America, and we expect them to end their preparations for the competition in style – Argentina 4-0 Guatemala

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Argentina vs Guatemala will not be available to watch on TV in the UK.

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