Copa America 2024 kicked off with Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina taking on Canada in a thrilling game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta that the tone for matchday 1, which has been both intense and exciting in equal measure. We’re anticipating even more action-packed matches this week, and our matchday 2 preview is packed with expert betting tips – don’t miss it!. Here are our picks for matchday 2:
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**Chile vs Argentina** Defending champions Argentina can secure a spot in the 2024 Copa America knockout stage when they face Chile at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. Chile’s opening match against Peru ended goalless in a tight affair where both teams struggled to create any real scoring opportunities. Despite bagging 8 goals in three matches leading up to the tournament, Chile’s attacking prowess was absent on matchday one. Ricardo Gareca’s men have now gone three consecutive Copa America matches without scoring, dating back to 2021. In contrast, Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina navigated a tricky opening tie against Canada, winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. This marked Argentina’s first Copa America opening game win since 2016, and perhaps, the good news is that the last two times they avoided defeat in the opener, they reached the final. They are also on an impressive run of six consecutive wins since a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier last November. **Verdict: Argentina have never lost a game against Chile in regular time, and with Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez showing signs of an excellent partnership, our bet of the day is another win for the world champions.**
**Ecuador vs Jamaica** Ecuador manager Felix Sanchez is under immense pressure and will be sacked, unless he turns things around soon. After a shock 2-1 defeat to Venezuela in their opening group game which saw star man Enner Valencia sent off, supporters have already begun calling for the manager to be sacked mid-tournament. Given Ecuador’s recent form - three losses in their last four games, fans have good reason to be worried. Defeat against Jamaica will end their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, something they have achieved in the last two Copas. Despite these setbacks, history favors Ecuador in this fixture, with Jamaica yet to win any of the previous head-to-head matches (D2, L2). Jamaica’s Copa America campaign got off to a disappointing start with a narrow 1-0 loss to Mexico. Like Ecuador, they are desperate for points to reach the knockout stages for the first time, having suffered group stage eliminations in their two previous appearances in 2015 and 2016. However, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men will believe they can get something out of this, given their recent form - eight wins in their last 14 internationals (D3, L3) - which includes victories over Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. **Verdict: Ecuador are the better side and will rely on their superior experience to edge out a Jamaica team that were quite wasteful in their opener. Valencia’s absence means La Tri will rely on Jordy Caicedo in attack. However, our bet prediction is still a slim win for Ecuador.**
**Venezuela vs Mexico** Venezuela will face Mexico on Wednesday at the SoFi Stadium, looking to build on the momentum from their opening victory against Ecuador. A resilient Venezuelan side showed great spirit in their opener, overcoming an early goal to score two second-half goals in 10 minutes and claim their first-ever comeback victory at the Copa America. That win ended a five-match winless run for Fernando Batista’s men across all competitions and marked their first opening game win at this tournament since 2016, when they defeated Jamaica 1-0. Venezuela’s unbeaten streak against CONCACAF sides now stands at six matches, which should provide a boost ahead of this clash. Mexico, meanwhile, survived some nervy moments in their opener against Jamaica, including a Michail Antonio strike that hit the post, but ultimately emerged as deserved winners with 62% possession and nine efforts on target. That win continued a trend of 12 wins in the last 13 matches when El Tri have opened the scoring, with their only defeat over that span being a 3-2 loss to Colombia last December. History favors Mexico in this matchup, as they have never lost in 13 all-time meetings against Venezuela, winning two of their three Copa America encounters. **Verdict: Mexico were great going forward against Jamaica but looked vulnerable to transitions and were lucky to keep a clean sheet. If you want the best odds here, back both teams to score.**
**Panama vs USA** The USA kicked off their Copa America campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Bolivia, thanks to a standout performance by former Chelsea flop Christian Pulisic. The AC Milan star scored the opener before setting up Folarin Balogun to seal the victory. The hosts are favorites to beat Panama for a reason, given their impressive record of five wins in their last seven meetings (D1, L1) In stark contrast to USA’s form, 2023 Gold Cup finalists Panama suffered a 3-1 defeat to Uruguay in their opener. Manager Thomas Christiansen surprisingly adopted a defensive 5-4-1 formation, a departure from the attacking 3-4-3 that brought five wins in eight games during their pre-tournament run. Although Uruguay’s superiority may have justified that defensive approach, Panama will be expected to show more attacking intent against the USA as another defeat could mark the end of their tournament, making this match a must-win for Christiansen’s team. **Verdict: USA look a different side on home soil, where they’ve lost just 3 times in their last 15 games. They are also a significantly better side and we predict a win for the hosts here.**
**Uruguay vs Bolivia** Uruguay justified their tag as one of the favorites with a fine opening win against Panama. The front three of Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Araujo, and Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez tormented Panama throughout, with Araujo and Nunez finding the net in a comfortable 3-1 win. La Celeste holds the joint record for most Copa America titles alongside Argentina, with 15 titles each. However, only one of those 15 titles has come in the last 29 years, when a Luis Suarez-inspired side triumphed in Argentina in 2011. Marcelo Bielsa will be keen to wrap up qualification for the quarterfinals with a win here, and it’s hard to bet against his men. Bolivia, on the other hand, have won just one of their last seven games and offered very little in their 2-0 defeat to the United States. They gave up 20 shots in that game, and if that trend continues against Uruguay, things could get ugly. However, Bolivia can take courage from their 3-0 win over Uruguay in 2021, their first win in this fixture since 1997. **Verdict: Uruguay are favourites for a reason, there is talent and experience from back to front making them a tough prospect for any side. Bolivia looked vastly inferior against the USA and our full time prediction is another defeat here.**
**Colombia vs Costa Rica** Colombia take on Costa Rica in their second group game at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Following their opener against Paruguay, Nestor Lorenzo’s men will be aiming to secure swift passage into the quarterfinals, preferably top of the group to avoid an early meeting with one of the favourites. They are unbeaten in their last 15 games (W12, D3), and have lost just once against Costa Rica in 7 meetings (W6), making them firm favourites to win this one. Costa Rica have also been in fine form, boasting 4 wins in their last 6 games (L1, D1). However, taking anything from fixtures against Brazil and Colombia is certainly a tall order. Los Ticos have the perfect mix of youth and experience and a tough talking manager in Gustavo Alfaro, who has said his side will not be intimidated by facing any of the big boys at Copa America. **Verdict: Costa Rica are no pushovers, but a Colombian side with one of the tournament’s best players in Luiz Diaz should have enough in the tank to win this one..**
**Paraguay vs Brazil** Paraguay take on the Samba Boys of Brazil in the final game of Copa America matchday 2 at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. While fans of La Albirroja must fear the worst heading into this one on the back of 6 defeats in their last 9 games (W1), their players will have been heartened somewhat by Brazil’s result in the first game. The last time Paraguay defeated Brazil was in 2008, back when the legendary Roque Santa Cruz was still leading the line. These days, the star man of the team is Brighton’s 20-year-old attacker Julio Enciso, and without a single goal in 2024, it’s hard to see how he can change his country’s fortunes here. Meanwhile Brazil enter this game as favourites but not at their absolute best. Historically, the Selecao have been international football’s dominant force, but things have changed in recent years. They have struggled against the best sides in Europe, and recently, in South America. Their 2019 Copa America triumph was their first since 2007, and a recent run of just two wins in six games has them sitting sixth in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. However, they still have Vinicius Junior, who just had the best season of his career. He is expected to lead the charge for Brazil this summer and is the favorite to win the country’s first Ballon d’Or since Kaka in 2007. The first game has brought some grumbles but anything other than a win against Paraguay, and the criticism will rain down on Dorival Junior’s men. **Verdict: Brazil are the superior side and have a point to prove after a tough spell over the past 12 months, and will be eager to notch their first win. Take advantage of our expert betting tips by backing the 2019 champions to win this one comfortably.**
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