Copa America Semi-Final: Three reasons why Argentina will beat Brazil

Argentina will face-off against hosts Brazil in the semi-final of the Copa America tournament, in a match that has already gotten the fans really excited. The two South American giants will be looking to win the game and seal a place in the final of the tournament. Both sets of fans will be hoping that their team can deliver in this high-intensity match, though only one team can be the actual winner.

The hosts did not have a great outing in the quarter-final against Paraguay and went through on penalties, after a goalless draw in normal time. On the other hand, Messi, and co. beat their opponents Venezuela 2-0 and had a more comfortable outing.

However, Brazil has the overall advantage over its rivals in this tie, if we go through the history books and will want to make that count. Despite that, Argentina looks to be in better form and will want to make a statement, with an emphatic win.

Here are three reasons why Argentina will beat Brazil in this tie:

#3 In-form Martinez, no Higuain

Higuain has been at the center of criticism, coming from Argentina and Messi fans all along, though it hasn’t always been his fault that the team hasn’t really performed. He announced his retirement earlier this year and since then the team has been looking at alternatives to replace him.

The striker that they are playing in his place at present is Lautaro Martinez, who is in great form. He has scored a couple of goals in the last two games in this tournament and has really combined well with Messi and Aguero so far.

Keeping that in mind, he can be a huge asset for the team now and can help them beat the host nation in the upcoming game. He can actually help Messi win an international trophy finally!

#2 Argentina's defensive solidarity post first match

Argentina's defense has improved tremendously in recent games

Though the Argentine defense has not been the most solid one in recent times, they have done fairly well since their 2-0 loss to Colombia. They have been solid at the back and have just conceded a single goal in three games. This will give them a lot of confidence heading into this high-profile match and they will want to claim a third straight clean-sheet, in as many games.

It will not be easy to do so against a top team like Brazil, though there will be a lot of expectations from the fans and supporters that they can produce more of the same. It will now depend totally upon the tactics of Coach Lionel Scaloni and how he looks to counter the threat of the Brazilian attack.

If he is able to keep their attack quiet, Messi and co. can do the rest and score some goals to give his team the win.

#1 Lackluster Brazilian attack

One factor that will help Scaloni’s cause is the fact that his opponent’s attack look rather weak heading into the match. They failed to score a single goal against Paraguay in the 90 minutes and won on penalties. Without Neymar (who was injured at the start of the tournament), the Brazilian attack once again does not look strong on the pitch as it is on paper.

If the likes of Coutinho, Firmino and Gabriel Jesus fail to deliver on the night, their team could be in trouble and they will know this. Brazil has always been known for their strong attack and this is one weakness that Argentina can exploit, which gives them a huge advantage of their rivals in the build-up to this high-intensity encounter.

Whether they are actually able to make Brazil pay or not, remains to be seen. Despite that, for now, one feels that a lack of form will surely cost the home side up front.