Points are not important for Argentina this time, but beating Colombia definitely is!

In the upcoming night’s World Cup qualifiers, major points will be contested again in South America. Argentina, one of the first nations to secure a ticket to the tournament, will host Colombia at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Late last year, Lionel Scaloni’s team lost away to *Los Cafeteros*, but a year ago in the Copa América, it was this same Colombia that Argentina defeated in the final.

Argentina will have the home advantage on Wednesday morning, but in terms of stakes, Colombia arguably has the motivational edge. Scaloni’s squad secured their place in the tournament during the March qualification window with a crushing victory over Brazil, and also picked up valuable points away to Chile, who sit at the bottom of the group, last week. With tens of thousands of Argentinians roaring around them, one would expect motivation to be close to optimal levels.

The most important news regarding Argentina’s lineup is the return of Lionel Messi to the starting eleven. Julián Álvarez is also certain to start up front, but beyond that, there are some question marks. On the left-back position, there’s a gap as Nicolás Tagliafico is serving a suspension.

Colombia recently caught the attention of the football world with an impressive unbeaten streak, but since the end of last year, Néstor Lorenzo’s side has taken quite a nosedive in form. Colombia could still miss out on the World Cup altogether, as a playoff spot is now just three points away. Last week, they were held to a goalless draw at home by Peru, and the team again came under heavy criticism.

From Lorenzo’s squad, Jhon Durán had to stay behind due to injury and miss the trip to Argentina. The forward line is already depleted with Jhon Córdoba and Rafael Santos Borré also out injured, so Luis Suárez, who plays club football for Almería, is likely to start up top. He is a decent striker for Segunda in Spain, but not for La Liga.

A straight win for Argentina looks like a solid bet! Colombia’s form is currently faltering badly, and their striker shortage doesn't help in toppling the continent’s best team on a tough away ground. Messi’s return is likely to boost *La Albiceleste*’s performance, and the match should ultimately swing in favor of the home side.

Good luck!

这次对阿根廷来说，积分并不重要，但击败哥伦比亚绝对重要！

在即将到来的世界杯预选赛中，南美洲将再次争夺重要的积分。阿根廷是首批获得世界杯入场券的国家之一，将在布宜诺斯艾利斯纪念体育场迎战哥伦比亚队。去年年底，莱昂内尔·斯卡罗尼的球队在客场输给了Los自助餐厅队，但一年前的美洲杯，阿根廷在决赛中击败的正是这支哥伦比亚队。

阿根廷将在周三上午拥有主场优势，但就利害关系而言，哥伦比亚无疑拥有激励优势。在3月份的预选赛窗口，斯卡罗尼的球队以一场对巴西的大胜确保了他们的出线资格，并且还在上周客场战胜了小组垫底的智利队，获得了宝贵的积分。成千上万的阿根廷人在他们周围咆哮，人们会期望他们的积极性接近最佳水平。

关于阿根廷队阵容最重要的消息是梅西回归首发11人。Julián Álvarez也肯定会成为首发，但除此之外，还有一些问号。在左后卫的位置上，有一个空缺，Nicolás塔利亚菲科正在禁赛。

哥伦比亚队最近以令人印象深刻的不败战绩吸引了足球界的注意，但自去年年底以来，纳萨姆·洛伦佐的球队状态急剧下降。哥伦比亚队仍有可能无缘世界杯，因为现在距离季后赛入场券只有3分之遥。上周，他们在主场0比0被秘鲁逼平，球队再次受到严厉批评。

在洛伦佐的大名单中，约翰Durán因伤缺席了阿根廷之行。由于约翰Córdoba和拉斐尔桑托斯博罗雷也因伤缺阵，锋线已经枯竭，因此效力于Almería俱乐部的路易斯Suárez很可能成为首发。他在西甲是一名不错的前锋，但在西甲不是。

阿根廷的一场连胜看起来是稳赚不赔！哥伦比亚队目前的状态非常糟糕，他们的前锋短缺无助于在艰难的客场击败非洲大陆最好的球队。梅西的回归很可能会提振蓝白军团的表现，这场比赛最终应该会对主队有利。

好运！