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Lionel Scaloni's Argentina have done well at the 2021 Copa America, winning three of their four group stage games.
They will now face Ecuador in the quarterfinals of the tournament. A lot is expected from Lionel Messi and the Argentina national side, and so far they have performed up to the expectations.
Winning the Copa America will be no easy task, especially given the form Brazil are in. However, Argentina certainly have a strong squad and manager Scaloni has a variety of options to choose from.
We look at how Argentina could line up against Ecuador in the Copa America 2021 quarterfinal.
Goalkeeper- Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Emiliano Martinez was one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League last season and will likely start for Argentina against Ecuador.
The 28-year old, who joined Aston Villa from Arsenal last summer for £15.5 million, enjoyed an excellent debut season with his new club. It is clear that Martinez is now Argentina's first-choice shot-stopper, and has looked good during his initial appearances for his country.
A late bloomer, Martinez made his debut for Argentina only this year. Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni has a lot of difficult decisions to make, but he should have little problem with choosing his no.1.
Other options: Franco Armani (River Plate), Agustin Marchesin (Porto), Juan Musso (Atalanta)
Right-back- Nahuel Molina (Udinese)
Recently linked with a move to Inter Milan, Nahuel Molina has been a consistent presence for Argentina at the 2021 Copa America.
Molina is competing with River Plate's Gonzalo Montiel for the right-back spot. The 23-year old, who joined Udinese from Boca Juniors in 2020, is highly-rated by Argentina boss Scaloni, who has not shied away from giving the youngster chances at the prestigious tournament.
The right-back was not a first-team regular at Udinese last season, making 18 league starts. Capable of operating as a right wing-back as well, Udinese could lose another Argentine star to an Italian club this summer, with Atalanta having signed Juan Musso from them.
Centre-back- German Pezzella (Fiorentina)
There are doubts over the availability of Atalanta's Cristian Romero, with the 23-year old nursing an injury. German Pezzella is likely to take his place in the first XI for Argentina.
Pezzella has quietly been a key figure at Fiorentina since his arrival from Real Betis in 2017. The 30-year old has made more than 30 league appearances in each of his four seasons in Italy, and is also the captain of La Viola.
Romero will be a big loss if he does miss out, but Pezzella is a good replacement. He has made two starts and one substitute appearance in the Copa America 2021 so far.
Centre-back- Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica)
Nicolas Otamendi might not be everyone's cup of tea, but the Benfica defender has been a first-choice centre-back for Argentina for some time now.
A highly-aggressive centre-back, Otamendi's unorthodox style of defending can be a problem at times. However, the 33-year old was part of a hugely successful Manchester City side under the management of Pep Guardiola and made 210 appearances in all competitions before joining Benfica last summer.
Otamendi is one of the more experienced members in the Argentina squad, with 77 caps for the senior side. Barring any unfortunate late injury, it is hard to imagine Otamendi not starting against Ecuador.
Left-back- Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax)
Transfer rumor mill favorite Nicolas Tagliafico will battle Sevilla's Marcos Acuna for the left-back spot against Ecuador.
It would be fair to say that Tagliafico did not enjoy the best of seasons with Ajax last time around, and that form has carried over to the Argentina national team. The 28-year old has struggled so far at Copa America 2021, and it will be interesting to see if Scaloni decides to give Acuna a chance against Ecuador.
Last summer, Tagliafico was linked with Chelsea and it has been reported that the left-back wants to leave Ajax this transfer window. Inter Milan and Barcelona are said to be monitoring the Argentina international.
Other options: Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Atalanta), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax)
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Central midfielder- Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese)
Rodrigo De Paul is unlikely to be a Udinese player next season, with Atletico Madrid said to be closing in on a deal for the Argentina international.
The 27-year old was the heart and soul of last season's Udinese side, with his creativity, passing ability and dribbling all standing out. De Paul made 36 Serie A appearances last season, scoring nine goals and providing nine assists.
His form deserved a call-up to the Argentina national side for Copa America. De Paul's impact so far at the tournament has been limited, and more is expected from the former Valencia man. Argentina will be banking on his creativity from midfield against Ecuador.
Central midfielder- Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain)
Leandro Paredes was not a regular starter for Paris Saint-Germain last season, making 16 starts in Ligue 1.
Since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2019 for £36 million, Paredes has impressed with his passing ability. The 27-year old will likely be the deepest midfielder in a three-man midfield, with his passing range and overall quality an ideal asset for Argentina to have.
Paredes, who previously made appearances for clubs like Roma and Empoli, has 33 caps for the Argentina senior side. Like De Paul, more is expected from the talented Paredes.
Central midfielder- Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur were poor last season and Giovani Lo Celso endured an injury-riddled 2020/21 campaign.
Lo Celso joined Tottenham Hotspur from Real Betis in 2019 on a loan deal which was made permanent in January 2020 for £29 million. The midfielder's quality is undeniable, but Lo Celso made just 11 league starts for Tottenham Hotspur last season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
The 25-year old is capable of playing in a variety of midfield positions and will be hoping for a good Copa America 2021 with Argentina. Tottenham Hotspur new manager Nuno Espirito Santo will surely be tracking the Argentina international's performances in the competition.
Other options: Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Nicolas Dominguez (Bologna), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis)
Also Read: 5 biggest transfers completed so far- July 2021
Right-winger- Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Arguably the greatest player to have played the game, Lionel Messi is Argentina's captain and talisman.
The 34-year old came to the Copa America 2021 on the back of another brilliant individual season with Barcelona, and he has been sensational so far for Argentina at the tournament. Messi has scored three goals for Argentina in the competition and has arguably been the best player at the tournament.
There is intense pressure on Messi to win a trophy with Argentina, and for a certain period of time, it seemed as if that opportunity was lost. However, Argentina have looked good at Copa America 2021 so far and stand a chance of going all the way.
Centre-forward- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Regarded as one of the best young players in the world, Lautaro Martinez is expected to lead the line for Argentina against Ecuador.
Martinez enjoyed a good 2020/21 season with Inter Milan, with Antonio Conte's side winning the league. Martinez formed a good attack with Romelu Lukaku, making 30 Serie A starts, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists.
The 23-year old is seen as Argentina's present and future, but his performances at Copa America 2021 have been decidedly mixed. Martinez is competing with veteran striker Sergio Aguero for the no.9 spot against Ecuador.
Left-winger- Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla)
Alejandro "Papu" Gomez made news last December when he controversially announced his decision to leave Atalanta after a break down in relationship with Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini.
Gomez is regarded as a legend of Atalanta, with his creativity and passing key to Atalanta's success under Gasperini. The 33-year old subsequently moved to Sevilla in January this year and enjoyed a good second half of the season with the La Liga side.
Gomez made 11 La Liga starts for Sevilla, scoring three goals and providing an assist. He made his debut for Argentina in 2017 and has seven caps for the senior side and has three goals to his name.
Other options: Sergio Aguero (Barcelona), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Joaquin Correa (Lazio), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Julian Alvarez (River Plate)
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