Argentina and Peru are set to clash in their third Group A match of the Copa America 2024 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday (Sunday in IST). Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, has confirmed that he will rotate his starting lineup. Captain Lionel Messi, who sustained a minor hamstring tweak during the win against Chile, may be rested as a precaution. Messi has described the injury as “nothing serious” but admitted that he “found it difficult to move freely” towards the end of the match against Chile. Several other Argentine players, including Alejandro Garnacho, Lucas Martinez Quarta, German Pezzella, Exequiel Palacios, and Guido Rodriguez, are yet to see any action in this Copa America.
On the other hand, Peru will be without suspended defender Miguel Araujo, who received a red card against Canada. Luis Advincula, who suffered an Achilles injury in their opening group fixture, watched from the bench against Canada and his fitness for the match against Argentina remains unclear. Peru will be looking to their star striker Paolo Guerrero for goals. The three-time Copa America Golden Boot winner and Peru’s all-time leading scorer with 39 goals, needs just one more goal to tie Teodoro Fernandez’s record for the most goals by a Peruvian in Copa America history.
With both teams aiming for a positive result in this crucial group encounter, the stage is set for a thrilling and competitive match. The battle between Argentina’s firepower and Peru’s defensive resilience promises to be a captivating spectacle for football fans worldwide.
