Review of classic matchups: Argentina vs Colombia, a powerful offensive and defensive game in South America

If you focus on the key confrontations between the two teams before and after 2020 (such as the America's Cup or the World Cup preliminaries), this powerful South American matchup is full of highlights - Argentina was building an offensive and defensive system around Messi at that time, while Colombia relied on the counterattack power of its core players. The two teams met 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss in the past 3 times. The suspense of victory and defeat is always high. Whoever can control the rhythm will be more likely to take the initiative.

Argentina's core competitiveness lies in midfield control and Messi's finishing ability. At that time, the team mainly played a 4-3-3 formation, and the midfield barrier composed of DePaul and Paredes could steadily control the ball (average ball possession rate 58% per game); although Messi has passed his peak, he is still the core of the offense. He can not only drop back and link up (average 3.2 key passes per game), but also finish in the penalty area (contributed 2 goals and 1 assist in the past 5 games against Colombia). Coupled with Di Maria's wing breakthrough, the offensive end is full of layers. However, the defense is occasionally unstable, and high-altitude ball defense (62% success rate in aerial duels) is a point that Colombia can target.

Colombia relies on "counterattack speed + midfield hardness" to gain a foothold. Although Ronaldo's condition declined slightly at that time, he was still the core of the frontcourt (average pass success rate 85% per game) and could deliver precise through balls; forward Falcao's fulcrum role (header success rate 68%) and winger Cuadrado's sprint (33km/h) formed an efficient counterattack combination. In the past three games against Argentina, Colombia relied on counterattacks to break the deadlock twice. The team was also good at squeezing space in a 5-4-1 formation, with midfielder Casemiro (who had not moved to Manchester United at the time) intercepting (2.5 per game) cutting off Argentina's passes.

The tactical game is "Argentina's possession attack vs Colombia's defensive counterattack". Argentina will rely on short passes to penetrate and find gaps in the defense, and Messi's free kicks are also important. Colombia will shrink the defense, hoping that Ronaldo and Cuadrado will seize counterattack opportunities. The prediction gives priority to a 1-1 draw (40% probability) or a 2-1 victory for Argentina (35% probability). If Colombia can limit Messi's series, there is also a chance of a 1-0 upset. This duel is not only a competition of strength, but also a direct collision of South American football styles.