For years, Belgium's 'golden generation' has promised much but never quite lived up to its potential – in arguably their last opportunity for success, they are primed to give it all they have.
The one area of Roberto Martinez's team that would cause most supporters concern would be their aging backline, but in the face of sheer desperation and an attack brimming with quality, they stood firm in Seville to see off Cristiano Ronaldo and defending European champions Portugal 1-0 on Sunday.
It was a performance that brought further credence to the growing idea that pragmatism rules on the international stage, with Belgium making the most of a wonderstrike and then offering little threat themselves at the other end.
A gauntlet was laid down to Portugal and, despite boasting a squad far superior to the one they possessed five years ago, Fernando Santos was seemingly unable to harness that greater collective talent.
That's not to say Portugal have been great entertainers since winning Euro 2016. No, in fact pragmatism and even dull football have almost been a staple under Santos, and this was very much the case during the opening 45 minutes in Seville, with Belgium's difficulty in breaking down a typically rigid defence notable.
Though Romelu Lukaku's efforts at least kept the Portugal backline busy.
The occasion was perhaps understandably billed as Lukaku v Cristiano Ronaldo, though it was hardly a shootout between the pair as some might've hoped.
Instead, they were forced to graft in what was something of a slog, and that suited Lukaku a little more than it did record-chasing Ronaldo.
The Inter star was first a nuisance in the 10th minute as he brilliantly used his frame to block Ruben Dias and tee up Eden Hazard on the edge of the box, though his subsequent shot was sliced horribly high.
Later, in a move that highlighted his flexibility as much as his raw power, Lukaku surged through the middle as he led a break, impressively holding off Joao Palhinha, who desperately tried to foul him. Fortunately for Portugal, Lukaku's eventual pass was cut out and referee Felix Brych bizarrely opted against bringing the play back when Belgium failed to take full advantage.
But soon after, Lukaku's somewhat under-appreciated role took centre-stage once more, as he again bullied Dias on the edge of Portugal's box to sustain an attack, and just a few seconds later it was 1-0.
Thorgan Hazard, for much of his career often seen simply as "Eden's brother", took the game by the scruff of the neck, as he blasted past Rui Patricio from 25 yards.
That put him ahead of Eden for total Euros goals, his two coming in just three appearances. The older brother has one in nine games.
It was a moment of beauty somewhat out of keeping from the rest of a first half in which the majority of the highlights revolved around displays of physicality.
The goal arriving so close to half-time at least allowed Portugal a chance to regroup and potentially alter their system to be more aggressive in attack, which, in fairness, they were as Santos' men managed 15 shots compared to eight in the first period.
Portugal were on the front foot for most of the second half, their first proper chance coming shortly after a couple of attack-minded substitutions – Ronaldo did well on the right, drifting in and finding Diogo Jota in the box, only for him to blaze over.
The Selecao really upped the ante in the final 15 minutes, purely out of desperation.
Dias saw a goal-bound headed pushed away by Thibaut Courtois, before Raphael Guerreiro linked up with Ronaldo and saw a right-footed effort come back off the post.
At the other end Lukaku continued to be a vital outlet for Belgium. While chances were difficult to come by, his lung-busting runs relieved the pressure on several occasions, buying the Red Devils a little extra time.
But for all of Portugal's incessant pressure, keeping alive their dream of retaining the crown wasn't to be.
It wasn't a wasted couple of weeks for Ronaldo at least, the all-time great taking several more records.
He leaves Euro 2020 as the top-scorer in European Championship history with 14 goals and the top-scoring European player at major international tournaments with 21.
But the last one, the biggest record of them all is out of reach for the time being, with Ronaldo left tied on 109 international goals with Ali Daei.
While Lukaku still has some way to go to matching the exploits of his Serie A rival, Rom v Ron went the Belgian's way, and if he continues to produce similarly selfless displays over the next couple of weeks, he could well inspire the 'golden generation' to their defining achievement.
Belgium ended Portugal's European Championship defence with a 1-0 win in Seville, despite losing Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard to injuries in the last-16 clash.
With both sides facing a daunting route to Euro 2020 glory, it was Belgium who emerged to reach a quarter-final tie against in-form Italy thanks to Thorgan Hazard's long-range strike.
It was a goal that deserved to settle a game of few chances, although De Bruyne's substitution early in the second half will concern Roberto Martinez, as will Eden Hazard’s departure late in the match.
Portugal could not capitalise and paid the price for a third-placed Group F finish that condemned them to this side of the draw.
At odds with a tense finale, opportunities were few and far between prior to Belgium's spectacular 42nd-minute opener.
Portugal's Diogo Jota dragged wide and Thibaut Courtois parried a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick – his first sight at a record-breaking 110th international goal – before Thorgan Hazard blasted beyond Rui Patricio from 25 yards, the ball fading away from a flailing goalkeeper.
Joao Palhinha's challenge on De Bruyne in the 45th minute saw the Belgium midfielder substituted shortly after the restart, but Portugal did not respond until the introduction of Bruno Fernandes and tournament debutant Joao Felix.
Ronaldo teed up Jota to flash a strike over and Joao Felix got up to meet Renato Sanches' cross, only to head into Courtois' arms.
An ill-tempered affair threatened to tick by without Portugal seriously threatening an equaliser, but Ruben Dias headed straight at Courtois and Raphael Guerreiro struck the post, agonisingly close to forcing extra time.
What does it mean? Belgium win but lose star power
Belgium showed little besides the moment of magic from Hazard, an unlikely hero alongside De Bruyne, brother Eden and Romelu Lukaku. It proved enough on this occasion.
But when facing Italy next, Martinez will hope to have De Bruyne and Eden Hazard available to make their own special contribution to the knockout rounds.
De Bruyne has created a tournament-high 10 chances in just 134 minutes, while Eden Hazard contested 19 duels and won four fouls in this match, providing a vital outlet for his side.
Hero Hazard helps out
Thorgan Hazard's hit was one to remember, but he also played a key role in protecting Belgium's narrow lead.
The wing-back made five tackles, three clearances and also an interception when playing behind Eden.
No new Ronaldo record
It is surely a case of when not if Ronaldo reaches that magical number of 110, pulling clear of Iran great Ali Daei, but this was not his night.
Although five goals may still be enough to earn the Golden Boot, the forward scarcely looked like adding to that tally. He had four attempts but his best was a long-range free-kick.
What's next?
Belgium head to Munich on Friday to face Italy, with Ronaldo and Portugal watching on from home.
Johanna Konta has been forced out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament after a close contact tested positive for COVID-19.
The 30-year-old British number one, who would have begun the Championships as the 27th seed, must isolate for 10 days as a result of the positive test.
Consequently, she will be unable to try to improve on her best result of a run to the semi-finals four years ago.
A tournament statement read: "Johanna Konta has been withdrawn from the Championships - in line with government legislation she is required to self-isolate for 10 days having been classified as a close contact of a positive test for COVID-19.
"Yafan Wang will take her position in the draw as a lucky loser. Our heartfelt sympathies are with Johanna and we hope to see her back on court as soon as possible."
Wang now enters the draw despite losing to Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko in the third round of qualifying. The 27-year-old reached the second round in 2019.
Kevin De Bruyne exited Belgium's Euro 2020 last-16 clash with Portugal due to injury on Sunday.
The Manchester City midfielder's involvement in the Euros was delayed due to facial fractures sustained in the Champions League final.
De Bruyne had subsequently starred as Belgium eased through the group stage, however, assisting one and scoring another in a comeback win over Denmark, before laying on a further assist against Finland.
But he lasted just 48 minutes of the knockout game against Portugal in Seville.
Joao Palhinha had been booked just before half-time for a challenge on De Bruyne from behind, and the felled star soon found he could not continue in the second period.
Red Devils coach Roberto Martinez took no risk, quickly calling Dries Mertens on in De Bruyne's place.
Belgium would have to face in-form Italy if they advance, while world champions France are also in the same half of the draw – two opponents against whom they would not like to be without De Bruyne.
Matthijs de Ligt accepted responsibility for the Netherlands' Euro 2020 exit after he was sent off in the 2-0 last-16 defeat to the Czech Republic.
The Juventus defender was dismissed 10 minutes into the second half after a VAR review for a deliberate handball that denied Patrik Schick a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Goals from Tomas Holes and Schick, his fourth of the tournament, secured a memorable win for Jaroslav Silhavy's side as they secured a quarter-final clash with Denmark in Baku.
The Netherlands were far from the free-flowing side that eased through the group phase, Frank de Boer's men becoming the first Dutch side since at least 1980 to go through a Euros or World Cup game without managing a shot on target.
Yet De Ligt felt his error when judging a bouncing ball, and the handball that followed, was the main reason for their defeat.
"Of course, it feels bad. We basically lost the match because of what I did. In hindsight, I shouldn't have let the ball bounce," he told NOS.
"Ultimately, that moment changed the game. I saw how the team fought in the final minutes and I'm very proud of that, but I do feel responsible.
"We had some chances in the first half. No shots on target, but chances. I didn't really feel like they were much better.
"Of course, this hits hard. Playing in a tournament is always a golden opportunity. If you're then knocked out like that, it's even more painful."
Midfielder Frenkie de Jong was surprised at his side's insipid display, particularly after their exploits over the first three matchdays.
"It was almost as if we were tired, although I have no idea why," said the Barcelona man. "We really wanted to win it. For some of the boys, this was the biggest game of their careers so far.
"It's not that we weren't prepared tactically. We were focused, and we certainly didn't underestimate them. We just couldn't get our game going. Sometimes you have days like that."
France captain Hugo Lloris believes the outcome of the Euro 2020 last-16 clash with Switzerland will hinge on the match-day attitude of Les Bleus.
The title favourites have yet to truly hit their stride, narrowly beating Germany but drawing with Portugal and Hungary in the group stage.
They topped Group F but left room for improvement, and will look to show in Monday's clash with the Swiss in Bucharest that their pedigree has not been overstated.
Lloris said in a news conference on Sunday: "We've turned the page from the group stage which demanded a lot of effort. We're entering a new competition.
"In the approach we take, it's completely different. We know that we can't make an error. There will be adversity. We will have a great team playing against us who have achieved beautiful things in recent seasons.
"We know the mental aspect will come into play. This will certainly be key to success. We have to produce a performance of a very, very high level to get through to the next round.
"We can count on our background and experience but that's not enough. We have to put all the necessary ingredients together to succeed.
"This wil mean lots of effort, sacrifices, talent and equally discipline. We have to be prepared to overcome this challenge in a mental sense. All of this as a team. From the start we've lived this adventure with all the players, the technical and medical staff. We want to go as far together as possible."
France have a number of injuries, with Lucas Digne, Jules Kounde and Marcus Thuram all ruled out by head coach Didier Deschamps. Lucas Hernandez could be involved, though, after a knee problem.
Goalkeeper Lloris said: "It's up to us to give the response on the pitch, by putting in the necessary energy, showing discipline and making the efforts to write our history and create success.
"We're a team of competitors, we don't like losing, but especially when you know that you can go home, the challenge is even greater. It's up to us to do what is necessary in our performance to still be there in the next round and to rise to the occasion."
Karim Benzema's two goals in the draw with Portugal were a welcome boost for France, with the recalled Real Madrid striker showing his value.
Benzema and Antoine Griezmann, who scored in the draw with Hungary, are the only France players to score so far at these finals, with a Mats Hummels own goal bringing about the team's opening win over Germany.
There is surely more to come from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, who has had a team-high eight shots at goal and built up an expected goals tally of 1.29, second only to Benzema (1.71).
According to Lloris, there was never any doubt about Benzema's impact on his return, even before he made a goalscoring contribution.
"I think he's been ready, since he was called up, to do what is necessary for the team but also in a personal sense to bring his experience, his background and his talent in order to help the France team," Lloris said.
"Obviously a striker is looking for goals, that builds confidence. We already know his influence on the team's game, we've not needed to wait for him to score these two goals to see it."
Max Verstappen is not getting carried away by his dominant win at the Styrian Grand Prix, warning Red Bull may not find life so easy at a different track.
Verstappen became the first Formula One driver to win three times at the Red Bull Ring as he raced clear of Lewis Hamilton, triumphing by more than 35 seconds despite showboating as he crossed the line.
Next week's event – the Austrian Grand Prix – is at Red Bull's home circuit, too, encouraging optimism Verstappen could add to his career-high four wins this season.
This layout has typically allowed Mercedes to show their pace, however, with its 10 turns the fewest on the 2021 calendar.
The Silver Arrows qualified in pole position in six of the previous seven races at the Red Bull Ring – Ferrari's Charles Leclerc the other – before Verstappen was fastest this week.
Hamilton highlighted Red Bull's straight-line speed as key, yet Verstappen wants to see continued excellence to stretch his 18-point advantage in the drivers' championship.
"We do have a very good package, but I want to see it again every single weekend," Verstappen told a news conference.
"Every track is different and it's still about finding the perfect set-up on the car because it can be quite sensitive in some areas, to make it work.
"It's never good enough – I always want to try to improve every single weekend because even a weekend like this... of course, it looks amazing, we won with a big margin, but it's never good enough.
"So, we just try to look into details of what we can do better, and when we go to other tracks again, I don't expect it to be like it was today, so we have to just keep being very focused in what we have to do.
"So far, of course, I'm very happy with how it's been going but, like I said, it's never good enough."
Georginio Wijnaldum struggled to explain the Netherlands' "off-day" against the Czech Republic as their Euro 2020 campaign ended at the last-16 stage.
Frank de Boer's side were the favourites to reach the quarter-finals after three wins from three games in the group stage, but they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in Budapest as a red card to Matthijs de Ligt proved costly.
The Juventus man was sent off for a deliberate handball and the Czech Republic capitalised on their advantage, Tomas Holes and Patrik Schick scoring the goals to send them through.
The Netherlands failed to attempt a shot on target for the first time in a European Championship or World Cup match for the first time since at least 1980 as they struggled to replicate the attacking flair they showed previously in the tournament.
Captain Wijnaldum was an isolated figure throughout in the number 10 role, completing just 10 passes in the contest, the fewest of any Oranje outfield player in a Euros knockout match for at least the past 41 years.
Wijnaldum pointed to a good chance for Donyell Malen, which was missed barely 30 seconds before De Ligt's red card, as a key point in the contest but admitted his side deserved little for their performance.
"In the second half, we had a good chance and you have to finish that," he told NOS.
"The goals we gave away, the chances we didn't take... all that goes through your head. After the red card, we found it difficult to put them under pressure. Things just got more difficult for us.
"The whole match was tough going. Somehow we couldn't deal with the way they pressurised us. We couldn't create spaces. We fashioned a few chances in the first half, but not enough.
"Before the tournament, there was a lot of criticism around our way of playing, and we turned that around. Today was an off-day. I can hardly explain it. It's very difficult, but it's the reality."
The Czech Republic will face Denmark in the quarter-finals next Saturday.
The Netherlands have been one of the most obviously entertaining and thrilling sides to watch at Euro 2020 and the opening stages of their shock 2-0 last-16 defeat to the Czech Republic in Budapest was no exception.
Frank De Boer's side were rapid and relentless down the flanks and, by the time Denzel Dumfries peeled infield and charged into the centre-forward position to collect Daley Blind's raking pass, a bedraggled Czech backline might have found it easier to be marking all 50,000 inhabitants of the Scottish town with which the rampaging right wing-back shares a name.
Tomas Kalas managed to force Dumfries wide and made a vital, scampering challenge. There is entertainment in such last-ditch defending too, although it rarely looks much fun for the protagonist.
Seven minutes before half-time, it was impossible to ignore a towering man in orange who appeared to be deriving little enjoyment from what was unfolding.
Some worryingly passive Dutch defending let Lukas Masopust find Antonin Barak in the area. In flew Matthijs de Ligt with a goal-saving challenge. The Juventus centre-back howled at everyone within earshot. He was furious.
De Ligt the leader
At that moment, it felt like the 21-year-old was in the process of turning in a defining performance to quell the hum of criticism that has soundtracked the past two years of a career that still promises so much.
"De Ligt is the centre-back of our defence. He needs to become much more of a leader than he is now," Netherlands great Marco van Basten told the NOS channel in a curiously harsh criticism after De Ligt returned to help his side to a clean sheet against Austria following the chaotic 3-2 win over Ukraine.
"He went to Italy to learn how to defend more, but I think he didn't learn much there. He needs to lead the rest much more."
De Ligt left Ajax after their celebratory 2018-19 campaign already looking like a born leader. It was hard to imagine those credentials being questioned. But a transitional year at Juventus as Maurizio Sarri tried to implement a new style, followed by last season's ignominy of surrendering the Serie A title under Andrea Pirlo amounted to an unforgiving education in Italy's top flight.
Still, he managed to retain an admirably positive outlook.
"I'm really lucky as I'm playing with almost everybody I'd be watching if I was a young player," De Ligt told The Athletic midway through 2020-21.
"[Leonardo] Bonucci is really good in the build-up, so I talk to him about that and watch what he is doing. [Giorgio] Chiellini is really good at marking, so I'm trying to learn from him too.
"I play with [Virgil] Van Dijk [for the Netherlands]. In the end, though, it's so important that you develop your own game and don't start being a copycat of someone else."
Sunday's match, with Van Dijk a long-term absentee and the prospect of a charge for glory such as the one Bonucci is underpinning with Italy, looked like it might become the game where De Ligt stepped out of those considerable shadows.
De Ligt the scapegoat
As it was, his ill-timed stumble and handball to deny Patrik Schick a goalscoring opportunity – moments after Donyell Malen should have opened the scoring at the other end – engulfed the defender and his team-mates in a darkness they could not lift as the lights went out on their Euro 2020 bid.
"An experienced mature defender doesn't make the second mistake and lets the forward go on and score, because he doesn't leave his team with 10 men on the field," Gary Neville said on ITV after some horrid last-ditch defending that was no fun at all for the man involved.
De Ligt's red card makes him an obvious scapegoat. Everything changed when he went off. Save for the effervescent Dumfries charging forward to draw a yellow card from Vladimir Coufal, making a block to rival De Ligt's earlier effort to thwart Pavel Kaderabek and still causing havoc in the opposition half, there was little to recommend about how De Boer's men responded to adversity – their game management very much a minute-by-minute, reactive endeavour.
Tomas Holes' 68th-minute opener hastened the capitulation and the Golden Boot-chasing Schick put the result beyond doubt with his fourth of the tournament. The Netherlands were out, having not conceded a goal at any stage with De Ligt on the field.
He will not have wanted to perversely prove his worth in this fashion. De Ligt's tendency to find positives will be put to its biggest test after this shot at greatness slipped through his fingers because the ball did not.
Spain boss Luis Enrique has described the abuse received by Alvaro Morata as a "crime" and says it should be a matter for the police.
Morata has been the focus of attention since being jeered by his own fans during a pre-Euro 2020 friendly with Portugal after missing several opportunities.
He was then criticised for his displays in Spain's 0-0 draw with Sweden in their Group E opener and 1-1 draw with Poland, a game in which he scored but missed more chances.
The Juventus striker, whose loan from Atletico Madrid was extended for another season last week, then missed a penalty in Wednesday's 5-0 win against Slovakia, which saw Spain progress from their group in second place.
Morata revealed in an interview that he has received vicious messages on social media during the tournament, while his wife and children have also been targeted in public.
Luis Enrique has repeatedly leapt to the defence of Morata for his performances and is expected to stick with the 28-year-old for the last-16 tie with Croatia on Monday.
Speaking at a media conference, the Spain boss said: "The situation is so serious that it must be put in the hands of the police because it is a serious crime.
"Insulting Morata's relatives is a crime and I hope it is corrected outright."
Spain will hope to end a run of falling at the first hurdle in the knockouts of a major tournament when they face Croatia.
After winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, La Roja were eliminated at this stage of both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.
Despite that, Luis Enrique said his side have no doubts about their ability to get past Croatia.
"I have had the same confidence since the start of the Championship," he added.
"No team has surprised us. I thought we were going to be first in the group, but football is the result. But in terms of morale and dedication, we are at the max.
"We have not been there since 2012, but against Slovakia we had to win and now we have another final. I don't know if we are going to pass, but my team has no doubts. We are going to try to minimise the threat of the rival."
The match will be Croatia and Spain's third major tournament meeting, with both previous such clashes coming in European Championship group stages. Both sides won once each: Spain in 2012 and Croatia in 2016.
The Czech Republic reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 with a surprise 2-0 win over the Netherlands, who had Matthijs de Ligt sent off.
A close game in Budapest swung the way of Jaroslav Silhavy's men 55 minutes in when De Ligt was dismissed for a deliberate handball that prevented Patrik Schick from having a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Tomas Holes then headed in the opening goal before superbly setting up Schick for the second as the Czech Republic progressed to the last eight, where they face Denmark.
The majority of the Netherlands' first-half threat came through the forward runs of Denzel Dumfries, the right-back posing a real danger down the right but unable to provide for Memphis Depay and Donyell Malen.
The best of the first-half chances fell to Antonin Barak, who was teed up by Lukas Masopust but saw his effort from six yards out just blocked over the bar by De Ligt.
Malen carved out a brilliant opening to break the deadlock, driving his way through the Czech Republic defence only to see Tomas Vaclik take the ball from his feet as he tried to round the goalkeeper.
Moments later, De Ligt misjudged a bouncing ball and hooked it away from Patrik Schick with his hand as he fell, leading referee Sergey Karasev to send off the centre-back after a VAR review.
Pavel Kaderabek had a great chance when Schick missed a header, but Dumfries made a brilliant block in front of keeper Maarten Stekelenburg, the Netherlands suddenly on the ropes.
The breakthrough came with a little over 20 minutes left, Holes heading into the net after Tomas Kalas nodded the ball back across the box, with Stekelenburg caught out of position.
Frank de Boer introduced Wout Weghorst in a bid to find an equaliser, but Schick put the game beyond doubt with a slick low finish after Holes drove through a gap between Georginio Wijnaldum and Dumfries before cutting the ball back.
Mathieu van der Poel twice saw calculated gambles pay off as he won the second stage of the Tour de France to claim the yellow jersey.
The Alpecin-Fenix rider broke clear in the final kilometre to claim victory at Mur-de-Bretagne, finishing six seconds ahead of reigning champion Tadej Pogacar.
It was the second tactical burst from Van der Poel during the 183.5km journey from Perros-Guirec, having also attacked on the first ascent to claim a time bonus at the summit.
That move, along with his stage triumph, made sure the Dutchman leads the way in the general classification. He paid tribute to his grandfather Raymond Poulidor – an overall runner-up three times in Le Tour during his illustrious career – by pointing towards the sky as he crossed the line.
"I have no words. I really don’t know what to say," Van der Poel said in his post-stage interview.
"I gambled a little bit. I went on the first climb because I knew I needed the bonus seconds if I wanted the jersey. It was my last chance to get it."
Pogacar saw off Primoz Roglic and Wilco Kelderman in a sprint to claim second place, while stage one winner Julian Alaphilippe came home in fifth place – he is the nearest challenger to Van der Poel in the general classification standings.
After the carnage of the opening day, Sunday's action thankfully saw most of the drama focused on the racing.
The start of the 2021 event had seen two major crashes, the first of which came about after Tony Martin collided with a spectator's placard. With so many competitors caught up in the incident, the race was neutralised to allow the peloton to make up ground on the breakaway group.
Race organisers attempted to keep the course clear on day two, though there were moments when riders could be seen asking fans to allow more room.
STAGE RESULT
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 04:18:30
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +00:06
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma)
4. Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe)
5. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) +00:08
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 08:57:25
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +00:08
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +00:13
Points Classification
1. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 66
2. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 50
3. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) 45
King of the Mountains
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 4
2. Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe) 4
3. Anthony Perez (Cofidis) 3
Argentina can clinch top spot in Group A as they aim to maintain their unbeaten run under Lionel Scaloni against a Bolivia side already certain of an early Copa America exit.
The format of the 2021 tournament means just one team from each section misses out on the last eight, though the final matches are still pivotal as nations jostle for positions in the final standings.
Bolivia's exit was confirmed with a 2-0 reverse against Uruguay last time out, another blank in front of goal meaning Cesar Farias' side have managed to score just once in three outings so far.
Argentina have also found it tough going in attack, despite the presence of the talismanic Lionel Messi. Following a 1-1 draw with Chile in their opener, they have recorded back-to-back 1-0 triumphs over Uruguay and Paraguay.
Those results mean head coach Scaloni has not seen his team lose in his previous 16 games. His last defeat in the job came in the previous edition of the Copa America, as they were knocked out by rivals Brazil in the 2019 semi-finals.
A potential rematch appears unlikely until the final this time around, with Brazil winning Group B. Argentina know a victory in Cuiaba will be enough for them to do the same ahead of the quarter-finals.
Scaloni has a decision to make over whether to rest Messi, who has played every minute in the competition so far.
While the Barcelona superstar just recently turned 34, he may want to be involved from the start as he looks to win his 148th international cap, which would move him out of a tie with Javier Mascherano to sit alone at the top of the list for Argentina appearances.
Those in danger of receiving a suspension with another yellow card on Monday are likely to be left out, among them Lautaro Martinez, Leandro Paredes and Giovanni Lo Celso.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Argentina - Alejandro Gomez
'Papu' Gomez arrived late to international football but helped make up for lost time in his previous outing with his first goal in a competitive fixture for Argentina. He struck in the 10th minute against Paraguay, while he also completed 88.2 per cent of his attempted passes in the opposition half before being substituted. Did he do enough to keep his place, though?
Bolivia - Carlos Lampe
Goalkeeper Lampe has been a rare positive for his team at the Copa America, making the most saves per game (eight) among those to have played in two or more fixtures. Even with Argentina potentially resting players, Bolivia's last line of defence may well be busy again as they prepare to say farewell to this year's Copa.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- This will be the 10th meeting in the Copa America at a neutral venue, with Argentina never previously losing in such contests (W9 D1). However, Bolivia have won twice when serving as competition hosts, in 1963 and 1979.
- Scaloni is unbeaten in his last 16 managerial games in all competitions, his best run since taking charge of Argentina (W9 D7).
- After five unbeaten games in the Copa America with Venezuela, Cesar Farias has lost the last four; one for Venezuela (semi-final in 2011) and three for Bolivia (all this year).
- Argentina are the team with the most goals scored in the first 15 minutes of their games (two), with all of their goals scored in the first half of games (three, same as Ecuador).
Maverick Vinales has denied he has agreed to make a shock move to Aprilia but says he has been thinking about leaving Monster Energy Yamaha since the start of the season.
Talk of Vinales potentially being on the move swept through the paddock at Dutch TT this weekend.
The 26-year-old Spaniard is contracted to Yamaha until 2022 but he has been linked with a switch to become Aleix Espargaro's team-mate next year.
Vinales said he has not agreed a deal with Aprilia, yet gave a strong indication he will seek pastures now after finishing second behind MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo in Assen on Sunday.
"No it's not true," Vinales told DAZN after being asked if he was joining Aprilia
"Now, for the moment we go to the summer break and we'll see.
"Of course it's an option [to move on], I'm thinking about it since the beginning of the season, because I'm not able to show my full potential, I can't tell you more."
Aprilia Racing chief executive Massimo Rivola said the team would ask swiftly if the opportunity to sign Vinales arises.
He told DAZN: "We don't know if Maverick will be on the market for 2022. If he is released by Yamaha, then he will certainly be of interest to us.
"But it is all to be built. First of all, we have to see if the rider is available and if he is willing to come to us. We have not spoken with him yet. But if he is released from Yamaha we will talk to him immediately."
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