Argentina vs Bolivia
Argentina vs Bolivia Preview
There’s an unmistakable bittersweet feeling hanging over this one. Argentina are back on home soil for the first time since the World Cup final in July, when Ferran Torres broke hearts in extra time and ended their dreams of back-to-back world titles. Spain won it, Argentina didn’t, and now Scaloni’s side have to dust themselves off, pick up the ball, and get going again. Wednesday night in Cordoba is the starting point, and while the occasion carries genuine emotional weight, Bolivia are the visitors, which means this should be very manageable business for La Scaloneta.
The real story here is Messi. He’s in the squad — of course he is — but his farewell match isn’t coming until October 6. Wednesday is essentially a warm-up for that, a chance for Scaloni to run the rule over some fringe players and a few potential debutants while easing the experienced heads back into international football after a difficult summer. It’s a transitional squad by design, but even Argentina’s B-team carries frightening quality, and Bolivia are going to find that out pretty quickly once the whistle goes in Cordoba.
As for the visitors, Oscar Villegas brings a side that very nearly made the World Cup — they lost 2-1 to Iraq in the interconfederation playoff back in March — but who have since fallen apart spectacularly. Three straight defeats, ten goals conceded, none scored. Those were friendlies, so you can’t press the panic button just yet, but walking into the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in this kind of form against this kind of opponent is about as daunting a prospect as international football gets.
Argentina vs Bolivia Form
Argentina came into the World Cup on the back of a 14-match winning streak. That’s not a run you build by accident — that’s a squad that has learned how to win, how to defend leads, and how to grind out results when the going gets tough. Spain ended the streak in the final, but one defeat doesn’t erase what this group of players has built under Scaloni. The habits are ingrained, the structure is there, and the quality of the personnel means they don’t need Messi on the pitch to be a seriously dangerous outfit.
Bolivia, by contrast, are in freefall on the form charts right now. Back-to-back wins over Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname gave some early optimism heading into the playoff, but since that Iraq defeat, La Verde have shipped ten goals in three games without reply against Scotland, Algeria and Paraguay. Yes, friendlies. Yes, the margins matter less. But three games without scoring, three heavy defeats — that’s a team struggling for confidence, struggling for structure, and struggling to find any kind of rhythm in the final third. Against Argentina, even a slightly patched-together Argentina, that’s a recipe for a long night.
What stands out in Argentina’s recent record specifically against Bolivia is the defensive solidity. The last three meetings between these sides have ended with Argentina winning and keeping a clean sheet. That’s not coincidence — Bolivia simply don’t carry enough quality in attack to trouble a back four that includes Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi. Given the current form of the Bolivian attack, there’s no reason to expect that pattern to change here.
Argentina vs Bolivia Head to Head
Argentina have been utterly dominant in this fixture historically, winning nine of the last ten meetings with Bolivia. That’s not a rivalry in any meaningful sense of the word — it’s closer to a routine exercise. The most recent encounters have all followed the same pattern: Argentina win, Bolivia don’t score. Three clean sheets on the bounce for La Scaloneta in this fixture tells you everything you need to know about the gap between these two sides at international level, and given Bolivia’s current attacking drought, a fourth looks firmly on the cards.
The venue matters too. Playing at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Cordoba, Argentina are essentially playing in front of a wall of noise from supporters who know their team have dominated here. Bolivia have managed to make it uncomfortable at altitude in La Paz down the years — that’s the great leveller in South American football — but at sea level, on Argentine soil, they don’t have that card to play. The H2H record, combined with Bolivia’s dire run of form, makes this one of the more straightforward handicaps you’ll find in international football.
Argentina vs Bolivia Lineups
Scaloni has genuinely mixed things up for this window. Paredes is suspended following misconduct in the World Cup final aftermath, which creates a gap in midfield, while Foyth and Almada have pulled out injured. The experienced core remains intact though — Emiliano Martinez in goal, Romero marshalling the defence alongside Otamendi, Mac Allister and Fernandez in the engine room, with Lautaro up top. The likely lineup reads: Rulli; Giay, Romero, N. Martinez, Tagliafico; Mac Allister, Fernandez; Simeone, Paz, Gonzalez; L. Martinez. Messi, as confirmed, will not feature until October.
For Bolivia, Villegas has a clean bill of health after the Paraguay friendly, which at least gives him full options to pick from. Potential debutants Rai Lima, Damian Medina and Rodrigo Banegas could all come in for their first caps. Miguel Terceros is the dangerman with nine international goals to his name — he’s the one Romero and company will need to keep tabs on. But with La Verde unable to score in their last three outings, and facing a defence of this calibre, Terceros is going to need something very special to make an impact.
Argentina vs Bolivia Tactics
Scaloni tends to set Argentina up in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 hybrid depending on the personnel available, and with the squad he’s selected here, you’d expect a relatively structured shape with an emphasis on ball retention and patient build-up. Mac Allister is the fulcrum of that midfield — he’s excellent at controlling tempo and keeping Argentina ticking over — and with Lautaro Martinez leading the line, there’s a constant threat on the shoulder of the defence. Even without Messi pulling the strings, Argentina have the quality in wide areas and in the half-spaces to hurt Bolivia repeatedly. The key will be quick transitions when Bolivia try to press, exploiting the space in behind.
Bolivia, realistically, are going to sit deep. With 10 goals conceded in their last three and no goals to show in return, Villegas isn’t going to come to Cordoba and try to play open football against this Argentina side. Expect a compact low block, trying to stay organised and make it difficult. The problem is that even well-organised lower-ranked sides tend to find Argentina’s movement and quality too much over 90 minutes. There will be moments — there always are — but sustained pressure from an Argentine lineup with this much depth should eventually tell. The question isn’t really whether Argentina win, it’s by how much.
Argentina vs Bolivia Prediction and Betting Tips
Argentina to win and keep a clean sheet is the obvious read here, and everything points in that direction. Bolivia haven’t scored in three straight matches, the H2H record is overwhelmingly in Argentina’s favour with three consecutive clean sheet wins in this fixture, and even a slightly experimental Argentine lineup is packed with Champions League and top-five league regulars. Scaloni’s side will want to make a statement on home soil for the first time since the World Cup final defeat, and Bolivia are the wrong team to be facing when Argentina are in that mood.
The pick is Argentina on the -2 handicap. This is a side that has dominated Bolivia relentlessly in recent years, is playing in front of a passionate home crowd, has real quality even without Messi, and is facing a team that can’t score and can’t stop leaking goals. A winning margin of three or more is well within reach, and the handicap line offers better value than a straight match result at these odds.