Argentina vs Ecuador

Argentina and Ecuador will square off against each other at the Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico in an exciting Copa America 2021 quarter-final showdown.

Argentina executed an almost perfect Copa America 2021 group stage campaign, winning three consecutive Group A fixtures following a 1-1 draw with Chile on Matchday 1. Interestingly, Argentina’s 4-1 demolition of Bolivia on Matchday 4 extended their quick-fire starts to seven consecutive internationals in which they broke the deadlock within the opening 35 minutes. Moreover, Lautaro Martinez’s 65th-minute strike against the Bolivians marked Argentina’s first second-half goal since October 2020, halting a run of seven straight fixtures in which they failed to find the net beyond half-time. Lionel Scaloni’s men have been nothing short of outstanding lately, as they go into this showdown unbeaten in their last 17 matches on the spin (W10, D7). Adding to their confidence, the Argentineans have won their previous three H2H meetings with Ecuador by an aggregate scoreline of 10-2.

Meanwhile, the Ecuadorians have reached the Copa America knock-outs for only the second time in 24 years in the most bizarre fashion. Indeed, since suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia in their tournament curtain-raiser, ‘La Tri’ have played out three consecutive draws, including a 1-1 stalemate with tournament favorites Brazil in their final group stage outing. However, Gustavo Alfaro’s men will have to improve their defensive game if they are to stand a chance against Argentina after failing to keep a clean sheet in 12 straight internationals. Easier said than done, with Ecuador conceding at least once in their last five games against Argentina in all competitions. It gets worse for Ecuador, as they’ve gone six matches without winning (D3, L3) since defeating South American minnows Bolivia in an international friendly back in March.