Colombia vs Chile
Without question, Copa America Colombia vs Chile is the most captivating quarter-final matchup as it pits two legitimate championship contenders against one another. One will move on to the semis, and one will go home.
Colombia have been the most impressive team in the competition thus far after getting past the group stage with a perfect record of three wins out of three.
As for Chile, the two-time defending champions finished second in Group C after losing to Uruguay in their final group match.
That defeat proved quite costly for Chile. Instead of being favoured against Peru, they are now underdogs against the dangerous Colombians, according to the SBOBET odds.
However, the fiery Chileans will not fear Los Cafeteros and will do everything in their power to prolong their title reign.
Talking Points
Colombia looking so complete
Heading into the tournament, everyone knew all about Colombia’s quality going forward. With veteran striker Falcao, James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and breakout star Duvan Zapata, Los Cafeteros were clearly not short on attacking talent.
But there were still some doubts about just how good they could be, especially with new coach Carlos Queiroz having only taken over earlier this year.
During the group stage, though, Queiroz and his Colombia side answered any concerns there might have been. The Portuguese manager, who is renowned for his ability to organise his teams tactically, has made an immediate impact on Los Cafeteros.
The Colombia defence has been absolutely brilliant thus far in the tournament. They did not concede a single goal in three group matches as the backline has looked rock-solid. And while Argentina have not been at their best, keeping Leo Messi and Sergio Aguero out of the scoresheet is still quite an achievement.
Perhaps the only question mark surrounding Colombia heading into their quarter-final against Chile is whether Falcao or Duvan Zapata will get the start as the lone striker.
While Zapata has staked a strong claim to start by scoring two of the team’s four goals — including the late winner against Qatar — Falcao is still the captain and will be difficult to drop.
It would certainly make big Colombia vs Chile news if Zapata does get the nod ahead of Falcao. But as he showed against Argentina, Zapata is more than capable of making an impact off the bench if he doesn’t start, which makes the Colombians all the more dangerous.
Alexis Sanchez back to his best
Chile were so close to picking up the draw they needed against Uruguay. They held on for 82 minutes until Edinson Cavani popped up with a brilliant header to snatch the win — and top spot in the group — for La Celeste.
Although, it should be noted that Chile weren’t quite at their very best. With starting full-backs Mauricio Isla and Jean Beausejour, as well as top midfielder Arturo Vidal all a yellow card away from suspension, manager Reinaldo Rueda opted not to play them, which also resulted in a change in formation.
All three should be back in the starting XI against Colombia, which should be a nice boost for the champions. That will allow them to return to their favoured 4-3-3 formation, which matches up with Colombia.
On paper, the Chileans don’t possess too many advantages on either end of the pitch. But they are still a vastly experienced side that’s greater than the sum of its parts. It’s how they’ve managed to triumph in each of the last two Copas.
They will also be encouraged by the outstanding performance of star forward Alexis Sanchez thus far in the tournament. After a disastrous season for Manchester United, Sanchez has looked like the Sanchez of old. He already has two goals and an assist with nine shots (four on target) in three matches.
Chile will need Alexis — who has been dealing with an ankle injury which he picked up against Ecuador — to be at his best once again to break through an impressive Colombian defence which has yet to be breached in the tournament.
History
Colombia and Chile have had quite a competitive history. Chile hold the slight edge in terms of all-time head-to-head wins with 15 to Colombia’s 10. Meanwhile, there have been 13 draws between the two.
More recently, Chile have lost just once in their last eight meetings against Colombia and are unbeaten in the last four (one win, three draws).
That one win came in their most recent Copa America meeting, which was at the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario in 2016. Charles Aranguiz and Jose Fuenzalida scored within the first 10 minutes to give Chile the 2-0 win.
Betting Tip
 |
 |
Colombia vs Chile | Under 2.25 Goals @ 1.75 |
| June 29 07:00 (GMT+8) |
The Colombia vs Chile betting odds are quite close as expected. The Colombians are the slight favourites at 2.26 on the 1X2 market, while the defending champions are priced at 3.15.
It’s tough to see exactly how this match will play out in terms of the result. Both teams are more than capable of snatching the win, while a draw (and extra-time) is also a distinct possibility.
However, it’s also tough to see too many goals being scored in this game. Colombia’s defence has been outstanding all tournament, while Chile showed against Uruguay that they can keep the best strike partnership in the competition in check for long the most part.
Despite the attacking quality on show, this match has the potential to be quite a cagey, cautious affair, one that’s unlikely to exceed a couple of goals in total.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
|
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
