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Argentina will kickstart their Copa America title defence on Thursday as they square off against Canada in the tournament opener.
Argentina ran out winners at the 2021 Copa America, beating Brazil in the tournament's final by a solitary goal. The historic triumph instilled in them some much-needed belief and gave them the momentum to bring home the World Cup a year and a half later.
Under Lionel Scaloni's tutelage, La Albiceleste have burgeoned into a well-rounded unit. Since their triumphant run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina have played 14 matches across all tournaments, winning 13 and losing just one.
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They beat Ecuador and Guatemala in the two warm-up matches by a combined scoreline of 5-1. Suffice it to say, they head into the 2024 Copa America with plenty of wind in their sails.
Meanwhile, Canada will be playing in the Copa America for the first time in history. They are one of the six CONCACAF teams participating in the tournament this year.
Canada were forced to go the extra mile to punch their tickets to the Copa America. After failing to secure automatic qualification by finishing outside the top-four berths in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League, they ultimately did it by beating Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in a playoff match.
Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch took charge of the team last month. Although his first game finished embarrassingly, a 4-0 loss against the Netherlands, there were plenty of positives to take away from their subsequent 0-0 draw against France.
Argentina vs Canada Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Argentina and Canada have faced each other just once in the past. It was an international friendly in 2010 and La Albiceleste won the game 5-0.
- Canada have lost four of their last eight matches across all competitions.
- Argentina have lost just one of their last 20 matches across all competitions, winning 19.
- Across their last 14 outings in all competitions, Argentina have conceded just four goals while scoring 32.
- Canada have conceded 12 goals in their last six outings.
Argentina vs Canada Prediction
Despite having a star-studded side led by Lionel Messi, this won't be a walk in the park for Argentina. Canada have some quality in their ranks too, with players like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David having already proven their mettle playing in Europe.
Despite that, Argentina should be able to kickstart their Copa America title defense with an important win on Thursday.
Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Canada
Argentina vs Canada Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Argentina to win
Tip 2: Game to have under 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Argentina to keep a clean sheet - Yes
