Argentina vs Ecuador

IIn a rematch of the 2021 Copa America quarter-finals, current champions Argentina will face Ecuador at Houston's NRG Stadium on Thursday, with a semi-final spot up for grabs.

Argentina topped Group A with a perfect record, securing a 2-0 win over Peru in their last match, while Ecuador held Mexico to a goalless draw to finish second in Group B.

Statistically, Lionel Scaloni's team was near flawless in the group stage, winning all three matches without conceding a goal. They scored all five of their goals in the second half and haven't trailed in a Copa America match since their 2-0 loss to Brazil in the 2019 semi-finals.

Argentina comes into this match on an eight-game winning streak across all competitions, conceding only two goals during that stretch. Their recent quarter-final performances in the Copa America have been dominant, winning their last three encounters by a combined score of 9-1. The only quarter-final defeat they've suffered in this century was in 2011 when Uruguay beat them on penalties (5-4) when Argentina hosted the tournament.

Historically, Argentina has a perfect record against Ecuador in Copa America encounters, including a 3-0 victory in their 2021 quarter-final meeting. They have advanced past this stage in the last four consecutive tournaments.

Despite being under pressure for much of their previous match, Ecuador managed to hold Mexico to secure qualification on goal difference. This is their second consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals and their third in the last four Copa Americas.

Coach Felix Sanchez has an opportunity to guide Ecuador to their first semi-final since 1993. However, they have struggled in the quarter-finals recently, losing their last three encounters.

Ecuador has yet to concede a first-half goal in this year's competition but has only scored once in the opening 45 minutes, in their 2-1 loss to Venezuela. Their last time scoring first in a Copa America quarter-final was in 1997, when they lost to Mexico on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Ecuador has lost six of their last seven competitive matches against Argentina, with their only victory since 2015 being a 2-0 win.

Argentine captain Lionel Messi missed their final group match due to a hamstring issue but has participated fully in training this week and is expected to play on Thursday. Messi, along with several other key players, was rested by Scaloni on matchday three.

Lautaro Martinez continues his scoring form with four consecutive matches finding the net, including a brace against Peru. Emiliano Martinez has kept four consecutive clean sheets dating back to 2021.

Ecuador's top scorer Enner Valencia returned from suspension to play the full 90 minutes in their last match, with the only change from their starting lineup being Jose Hurtado replacing Angelo Preciado late in the game.

Alexander Dominguez secured his first clean sheet of this year's Copa America against Mexico, stopping four shots.

Probable Lineups:

Argentina: E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico; Di Maria, De Paul, Mac Allister; Messi, La. Martinez, Alvarez

Ecuador: Dominguez; Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Franco, M. Caicedo; Yeboah, Paez, Sarmiento; Valencia