Getty
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
COLOMBIA Ospina Zuniga, Mosquera, Yepes, Armero Bolivar, Aguilar Pabon, Rodriguez, Ramos Martinez | ARGENTINA  Romero Zabaleta, Burdisso, Fernandez, Rodriguez Sosa, Mascherano, Gago, Guinazu Messi, Higuain |
There are several injury absences for the home team. Fredy Guarin was hurt in Friday's draw with Venezuela and joins Radamel Falcao and Carlos Sanchez on the casualty list, while Luis Perea misses out through suspension. Camilo Zuniga comes in at right-back, while Abel Aguilar replaces Guarin, Adrian Ramos enters on the left wing and Aquivaldo Mosquera fills in alongside Mario Yepes in defence.
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella is set to make several changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Bolivia on Friday. Martin Demichelis relinquishes his place to Napoli's Federico Fernandez after his disastrous error, while Javier Pastore and Ricky Alvarez are replaced by Pablo Guinazu and Jose Sosa in a more defensive XI. Javier Mascherano is the only doubt, and Rodrigo Brana is on stand-by to replace the former captain if he does not recover from injury.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Colombia have faced Argentina 31 times, winning eight and suffering 17 defeats.
- Their last meeting was in July 2011 in Santa Fe, where Argentina were held to a 0-0 draw in the Copa America group stage.
- Colombia are currently unbeaten in the qualifying tournament, having won one and drawn one in their opening two fixtures.
- The Cafeteros' finest moment against their rivals came in 1993, when they destroyed Argentina 5-0 in El Monumental. Freddy Rincon and Faustino Asprilla were the heroes on that day, both scoring twice.
- That, however, proved to be the last time Colombia beat the Albiceleste away from home.
- The match will be the first time No. 10s Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez have shared a pitch. The Colombian phenomenon missed out on the Copa America as then-coach Hernan Dario Gomez preferred to use him as the figurehead for the hosts of the Under 20 World Cup.
- Argentina will be keen to avoid more toils on the Caribbean coast when they visit Barranquilla. They were beaten 1-0 by Venezuela in October in Puerto La Cruz, their first-ever defeat at the hands of the Vinotinto.
Prediction
The Cafeteros are missing several key first-teamers, but confidence is high and they should have enough to record a narrow victory over Alejandro Sabella's unsettled Argentina side.
Editor's Prediction
Colombia 2-1 Argentina 
