Ah, Copa América 2024 has taken us on a wild ride, hasn't it? We've arrived at the highly-anticipated final showdown with bated breath...Argentina vs. Colombia. Brace yourselves folks.
Look, it's as straightforward as an overcooked spaghetti strand for the Argentine side, with Emiliano Martínez standing strong in the goal, he's done an amicable job protecting the net with 9 saves and a commendable 7.32 rating thus far. On the Colombian side, Camilo Vargas is doing some of his own stonewalling with just as many saves, a decent 6.90 rating on his name.
Waltzing onto the high-profile players, Argentina is flaunting an armory that would make Hollywood blush. Lionel Messi, a man who needs no introduction, has never failed to impress. His 7.70 rating, that needle-precision 87.7% pass accuracy and a resolute goal to show for it. Then there's Lautaro Martínez with his 4 goals, keeping the net busy like an industrious beaver and Lisandro Martínez, who's also been lighting some fires on the field.
Colombia? They're no slouches either. James Rodríguez who's been causing all sorts of headaches for the opposition (in a good way, of course) has an impressive 8.18 rating with consistent performance on the field. Let's not forget about the 'fantastic duo', Daniel Muñoz and Jhon Córdoba, both with 2 much needed goals to their name.
As for the previous matchup between these two teams, we saw a balanced result with the game ending in a draw. But the way these teams have been performing recently? Well, it's been a parade of wins for Argentina, chalking up a 3-0 tournament record while Colombia, well, they've been flirting with a draw amidst their wins, hence a 2-1-0 tournament record.
So, given the compelling performance on both ends and keeping the financial returns for the gamblers in mind, which team is likely to hoist the Copa America trophy?
Albert’s Prediction: Argentina by 1