Julián Alvarez has established himself as a consistent scoring threat for Argentina as they prepare to face Chile in their upcoming World Cup Qualifier. The forward found the net in Argentina's impressive 4-1 victory over Brazil and also scored in their previous 3-0 win against the Chileans.
"Our attacking options have been clinical in recent matches," a source close to the Argentina camp might note, pointing to their impressive tally of 14 goals across their last six fixtures.
Ricardo Gareca's Chile squad enters the match after a goalless draw with Ecuador, where they dominated possession (60%) but struggled to convert chances despite 16 shots with only 2 finding the target. By the way, Chile has managed just 10 shots on target in their last six matches.
The historical record heavily favors the visitors. Argentina has won three of the last six head-to-head meetings, with the other three ending in draws. Chile hasn't managed a victory against their continental rivals in this stretch.
When these teams last met in September 2024, Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring before Alvarez added a second, with Paulo Dybala securing the 3-0 victory. Argentina controlled that match with 65% possession and 8 shots on target compared to Chile's single attempt.
Interestingly, Mac Allister also scored in Argentina's recent win over Brazil, alongside Alvarez, Enzo Fernández, and Giuliano Simeone.
Based on recent form, Chile faces an uphill battle. Their defense will need to perform exceptionally well to contain an Argentina attack that has scored in every one of their last six matches. Can Gareca devise a strategy to finally overcome the reigning world champions?
Predictions suggest a tight affair with Argentina potentially edging it 1-0, continuing their impressive run against their Chilean counterparts.
