ARG Vs PER, Copa America 2024: Scaloni To Let Youth Take Centre Stage In Final Group A Game

Argentina's younger players are set to be given the opportunity to shine in their Copa America group meeting with Peru. (More Football News)

Reigning champions Argentina secured their spot in the quarter-f♓inals of the competition following their 1-0 win over Chile on Wednesday. 

It offers the opportunity for Lionel Scaloni to experiment w꧟ith his side, and h꧑e is hopeful Argentina's youngsters can seize the moment against La Blanquirroja. 

"▨We are satisfied, and we can enjoy the days, and giv꧙e the youngest ones minutes," Scaloni said.  

"I 💝think it's fair to have the players that did n🐓ot have minutes get onto the pitch."

"Hopefully when we give them (young playꦓers) the opportunity, they will be ab🔥le to seize it."

La Albice✃leste, however, will be without captain Lionel Messi, who♍ will be rested for the knockout stages of the competition after missing training on Thursday. 

"I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the game," Messi said after the win 🍷ꦦover Chile. 

"In the first play, my adductor got hard. I didn't feel a tear, but I did🌳 ꧑find it difficult to move freely.

"It wasn't as loose as it should've bജeen. But I was able to finish the game. We'll see how 𒉰it goes."

Peru, meanwhile, know they must earn a first victory over their opponents since June 1997, a 2-1 win at the Copa America to pro♏gress to the quarter-finals. 

They have pick💜ed up just one point from their opening two group games, losing late on to Ca🦄nada last time out thanks to Jonathan David's winner.

Jorge Fossati's side are now winless in their last five games at the tournament, their longest winless🌜 streak in the competition (since at least 1993) ꩵand face an enormous task against the current world champions. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina - Nicolas Gonzalez

Having watched Argentina's opening game triumph over Canada from the bench, Gonzalez wa🍎s brought into the side to face Chile, and his influence on proceedings was eviden🃏t. 

Gon𓆉zalez had the most touches in the opposition box (10), shots on target (two) and second-most shots (three), only bettered by Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul (both four). 

The Fiorentina winger has been involved in more attacking sequences per 90 than any other𝔍 player to have played a minimum of 45 minutes in the tournament, giving Scaloni food for thought with his team se🉐lection on Sunday. 

Peru - Gianluca Lapadula

Peru are one of only five sides yet to open their account at the Copa A𒊎merica this year following their goalless draw with Chile and 1-0 defeꦯat to Canada. 

Their last international goal came in a pre-tournament friendly against El Salvadꦰor, but Lapadula showed promising signs against Canada that a goal was forthcoming. 

Lapadula registered the most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (three) of any player in the Peru squ🐭ad, and will want to add to his 10 international goals. 

MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN

The Opta supercomputer is heavily backiꦉng Argentina to stay perfect at the 2024 Copa America. They won 75.8% of the pre-✤match simulations, while Chile won just 10.2%. 

This will be Argentina's 13th meeting with Peru at the tournament, with La Albiceleste recording a win and a clean sheet in their last two meetings at the Copa America (1-0 in 200✨4, 4-0 in 2007). 

Should they emerge victorious, Argentina will have three consecutive wins against Perꦰu in the competition for the first time since between 1927-1947 (W7).

A win will see them triumph in all of their group games for the third time this century. However, they will be hoping to rewrite history having finished runners-up in the two previous instances in which they achieved a 100% ꦦwin rate in the group stage (2016 and 2007).

​Peru, meanwhile, will be looking to remain in the tournament. A defeat will see them eliminated from the competition without a win for the first time since 1995, when they recorded two losses (v Brazil a🐬nd Ecu𒅌ador) and one draw (v Colombia) in the group stage.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Argentina - 75.8%

Draw - 14%

Peru - 10.2%