Copa America: Colombia Stake Their Undefeated Streak Against Uruguay

Uruguay vs Colombia

Colombia have been one of the biggest dark horse contenders for the 2024 Copa America because they have yet to lose a single game, and they will look to keep it that way when they’re up against Uruguay in the semi-finals at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Believe it or not, Colombia are on a 27-match undefeated streak across all competitions since losing to Argentina in a World Cup 2026 qualifier in February 2022. Under Nestor Lorenzo, who was appointed by the team in June 2022, Colombia have never experienced defeat.

The pre-game SBOTOP betting odds are in favour of Colombia because they’re coming off a 5-0 rout of Panama in the quarter-finals, but Uruguay are not far behind, despite surviving Brazil via penalties last time out.

 

Talking Points

Uruguay suffer crushing backline blow

Uruguay made it this far because of their stifling defence that has conceded only one goal in the last four games leading up to the semi-finals, an impressive feat considering they are coached by an offencive-minded guy in Marcelo Bielsa.

However, their backline may be in for a long night against Colombia because they won’t have two of their best defenders this week for different reasons.

Ronald Araujo is ruled out for the rest of the tournament and is sidelined for at least six weeks after playing only 33 minutes against Brazil due to a leg injury.

Furthermore, La Celeste are also going to be without Nahitan Nandez because of his second-half red card against Brazil following his reckless tackle on Rodrygo during the 74^th minute.

With Araujo and Nandez out, Jose Gimenez and Guillermo Varela are expected to take their places in the starting XI on Wednesday.

In other team news, Marcelo Bielsa will still have his options in midfield and in the final third.

Fede Valverde and Manuel Ugarte will continue to hold it down in the middle of the park, with Rodrigo Bentancur ready to come off the bench, while Darwin Nunez, Facundo Pellistri, Maxi Araujo, and Nicolas de la Cruz lead the way up front.

 

Big Game James is back for Colombia

Uruguay’s backline will have their hands full in trying to slow down James Rodriguez, who is still the talisman for Colombia even after all these years.

The big story for Los Cafeteros in this tournament is Rodriguez’s return to form, as the Sao Paulo forward already has one goal and five assists in this competition.

Rodriguez is relishing the playmaker role for Colombia, as he has the likes of Jhon Cordoba, Richard Rios, Miguel Borja, and Luis Diaz running alongside him in the final third, and he could choose his poison, which was evident in their annihilation of Panama.

Colombia will also get a huge boost in midfield as Jefferson Lerma is set to return from his one-game suspension that he served against Panama. His impending arrival should relegate Mateus Uribe back to the bench.

 

History

The last time Uruguay and Colombia faced off in the Copa America knockouts was in the last edition, where the latter won 4-2 in the penalty shootout after a goalless draw in regulation.

Colombia went to the semi-finals but lost to Argentina in the same manner as in their victory over Uruguay, although they bagged the bronze medal after beating Peru in the battle for third place.

Uruguay, of course, are the joint-winningest team alongside Argentina in the Copa America with 15 trophies, with their last triumph in 2011.

On the other hand, Colombia have only won it once in 2001 and were runners-up in 1975.

However, La Celeste have been eliminated in the Copa America quarter-finals in three of the last four editions, although they are currently on a five-game winning streak across all competitions.

 

Betting Tip

The Copa America 2024 odds predict a tight contest on Wednesday night. Colombia are slightly favoured at 2.69 odds, whereas Uruguay are at 2.73, and a draw is at 2.91 in the 1X2 market.

We’re inclined to side with Los Cafeteros on this one, based on their recent form compared to La Celeste. But realistically, this could go either way.

While recent meetings between Uruguay and Colombia have been low-scoring, there’s a huge chance that we’ll see more Copa America 2024 highlights this time around, making alternative bets like Over 2.00 at 2.09, Over 2.25 at 2.40, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.94 attractive.

Meanwhile, another goalless draw between Uruguay and Colombia – a Correct Score of 0-0 – is priced at 6.00.

   

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