Despite injury concerns, Lionel Scaloni is adamant that Lionel Messi is fit to play in their Copa America semi-final against Canada.

The Argentina captain sustained a hamstring injury in their second group game against Chile, forcing him out of the following match against Peru.

However, Messi returned for their quarter-final meeting with Ecuador, notably missing the first spot-kick in the penalty shootout, which they won thanks to two Emiliano Martinez saves.

After Messi admitted he "trained with fear" ahead of his return from injury against La Tricolor, Scaloni has brushed off any worries about his star man's fitness.

"99% of the time, [Messi] is fit to play," Scaloni said. "It's never happened to me that he's not fit to play.

"Every time he's come out on the pitch, he's fit to play. For [Canada], he's fit to play, without a doubt.

"It's a very easy decision for me, because it's a very frank decision, that if he's fine, he plays; and if he's not fine, he plays the last 30 minutes. It's that easy.

"It's true that that won't ever weigh on me. I know what he can give us even if he's not in optimal condition. I wouldn't make the grave mistake of not putting him on the pitch knowing that he gives us a lot, so that's indisputable."

Argentina opened their Copa America title defence with a 2-0 victory over Canada on June 20.

Scaloni acknowledged the benefit of that first meeting, though conceded Jesse Marsch was unlikely to take the same approach in a bid to reach the final.

"Canada has players who are physically strong and also technically good, with a coach who has conveyed an aggressive way of playing," he added.

"They have made things difficult for all teams. Physically, it's difficult to match them, but with our assets, we hope to play the game on our side.

"All coaches take notes to correct mistakes and hurt our opponents. Each coach will have to do something different. We will try to have the ball and stop them from playing their game."

Lamine Yamal must appreciate the "reality" of rough treatment by opponents at Euro 2024, so says Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, ahead of Tuesday's last-four meeting with France.

The 16-year-old has impressed for La Roja in Germany, assisting three goals as Spain have won all five of their matches at the tournament.

No Spanish player has ever registered more assists at a single European Championship tournament, while Yamal has created 14 chances – the most at a major competition for Spain since Xavi's 25 at Euro 2012.

Yet Spain have been somewhat frustrated by tactics from the opposition to stop Yamal and wing partner Nico Williams, with repeated calls for more protection of their players.

Yamal has only won four free-kicks at this tournament, however, and De la Fuente acknowledged his teenage star must learn to adapt.

"It's part of football, it's part of the game," De la Fuente said at Monday's pre-match press conference. "There are ways to gain an edge through playing or with intimidatory tactics.

"Each one uses their tools, always within a disciplinary regime imposed by the referee.

"You have to explain to a 16-year-old kid that he needs to see that reality. Lamine has to continue being him and learn that this is how it is.

"You will gain experience little by little. And he does it very quickly."

Though De la Fuente suggested Yamal must learn from his early playing days, Spain team-mate Rodri went the other way, demanding greater protection for his youthful colleague.

"As football players, we always want to be protected," Rodri said. "This is the job of the referee.

"I mean, he puts the standard, so what is a yellow card or red card is his job. It's not our job. And we play with the rules or with the level he put, this is the reality."

France's Adrien Rabiot has already referenced Yamal's danger, with the Les Bleus midfielder keen on putting "pressure" on the Barcelona forward.

Rodri expects a tough test, nevertheless, as Spain attempt to tee up a final with either the Netherlands or England, who meet on Wednesday in Dortmund.

"Tomorrow is going to be a very, very physical battle because they are a very physical team," the Manchester City star added. 

"So we will have to go in the same way, try to be strong, use the body, because we know the power they have."

Paraguay have dismissed head coach Daniel Garnero after less than a year in charge following their woeful Copa America campaign.

The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) announced the decision on Monday, parting ways with the 54-year-old after just 10 matches in charge.

Paraguay finished bottom of Group D without a win at the 2024 Copa, losing to Colombia 2-1, 4-1 to Brazil and then 2-1 to Costa Rica.

"The APF announces the termination of the relationship with DT Daniel Garnero as head coach of the Paraguayan national team," the federation said in a short statement on social media.

The 54-year-old was only appointed in September 2023, replacing compatriot Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Yet Argentina's Garnero was given his marching orders with Paraguay out of the continental tournament, and sitting seventh in the 10-team standings for South American qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

Borussia Dortmund have signed Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton in a deal said to be worth €22.5million.

Last season's beaten Champions League finalists have been on the lookout for reinforcements at centre-back after allowing Mats Hummels to leave on a free.

Anton, who appeared twice for Germany as they reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2024, was a key part of the Stuttgart team that finished second in the Bundesliga last season.

He played in 33 of their 34 league games in 2023-24 as they finished as runners-up to unbeaten champions Bayer Leverkusen, one point clear of Bayern Munich.

Anton, who has penned a four-year deal with BVB, told the club's website: "I didn't originally plan to change clubs – but then Borussia Dortmund came along. A top club that has just reached the Champions League final. This shows the potential of this club."

He is the first signing to arrive at Signal Iduna Park under Nuri Sahin, who succeeded Edin Terzic as head coach last month.

Luis de la Fuente has no doubt over Kylian Mbappe's threat in Spain's Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday, suggesting the France forward at "50% is 100% for anyone else".

Mbappe has scored just one goal from 20 shots at the tournament in Germany, a penalty against Poland in Les Bleus' final group game.

The Real Madrid-bound has been hampered by a mask, required after his broken nose against Austria in the opening game, but continues to struggle at the European Championship.

Mbappe has scored just once from 34 attempts in the Euros overall, a contrast to his record at the World Cup, where the former Paris Saint-Germain star has 12 goals from 39 shots.

Yet the Spain boss insists La Roja will not write off the Les Bleus captain, despite his recent underwhelming form.

"He is unpredictable, he never disappears," De la Fuente said at Monday's pre-match press conference. "His level at 50% is 100% for anyone else.

"He can beat someone in two moves. He is a genius and a superstar.

"We are going to try to minimise his influence, we have the tools to do it regardless of who is on the pitch. I have blind faith in my team to get to the final."

Mbappe may be a marked man for the Spanish, yet De la Fuente's team are in scintillating form as the only team to triumph in all five matches at Euro 2024 so far.

No team has ever won six matches at a single Euros tournament, however, nor managed six straight wins in the competition.

Yet De la Fuente has absolute confidence in Spain reaching their fifth European Championship final, with only Germany – who La Roja downed 2-1 in extra time in the quarter-finals – managing more with six.

"For me, my team is the best, but we have a great rival in front of us who is just as good," he added. 

"I will think that my team is the best team even if they knock us out. I analyse the team's potential and they have exceptional potential.

"Everyone gets bored or has fun with what they want, football never bores me. We are recovering well, but it is only a few days, it is the same problem for everyone.

"We will see how we are tomorrow, motivation makes you overcome any adversity."

A France player is yet to score from open play at the tournament, with Les Bleus' game seeing two penalties scored and two own goals.

De la Fuente still refused to ignore the quality of Didier Deschamps' men, adding: "Physically, France are one of the strongest, we know the players and we know how to fight them."

Thiago Alcantara has retired from football after the end of his injury-affected spell with Liverpool. 

Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in a deal worth £20million in September 2020, having helped the Bavarian giants win the Champions League one month earlier.

The midfielder had previously been part of the Barcelona squad that won Europe's premier club competition in 2010-11, also winning 11 league titles throughout his time with the Blaugrana and Bayern.

However, he was hampered by injuries after arriving at Anfield, only managing 68 Premier League appearances in total.

Forty-nine of those came in his first two campaigns with the Reds, and he only managed a solitary outing in 2023-24 before the expiration of his contract.

Rather than find a new club, Thiago has opted to hang up his boots, though he suggested he will stay in the game in some capacity when announcing his decision on Monday.

"I will always be willing to give back what I have been given and I am grateful for the time I have enjoyed," he wrote in a post on X.

"Thank you, football, and to all who accompanied me and made me a better player and person along the way. See you soon."

Thiago also won 46 caps throughout a 10-year international career with Spain, scoring twice.

France midfielder Adrien Rabiot admits everyone connected with the team has been "surprised" by Antoine Griezmann's struggles at Euro 2024.

France will face Spain in a huge semi-final clash in Munich on Tuesday, as they bid to reach their fourth major tournament final under Didier Deschamps.

However, Les Bleus have been strongly criticised for their failings in front of goal at the tournament, netting just three times from chances worth 8.07 expected goals (xG).

Their three goals have been two own goals and a Kylian Mbappe penalty, and they are the only team in European Championship history to attempt 50 or more non-penalty shots at a single edition without scoring with any (86).

Griezmann, one of France's star performers in their run to the 2022 World Cup final and the joint-third highest scorer in Euros history with seven goals at the competition, is among the Bleus forwards to have struggled.

He has failed to score from 11 shots worth 1.94 xG, missing all three of the big chances – as defined by Opta – to fall his way, leaving Rabiot lost for an explanation.

"We are all surprised when we know Antoine's qualities and what he did at the World Cup, where he was undoubtedly one of the best players," Rabiot said on Monday.

"I don't know how to explain it, maybe he's not as well physically. We expect a lot more from Antoine because he is capable of doing much more. 

"We can win without Antoine, we have a high-level team, but obviously it would be easier if he was at the top of his game."

Mbappe has also struggled thus far, his one goal coming from 20 shots amounting to 2.74 xG, and he recently suggested Paul Pogba's absence from the France midfield had forced him to change his game.

Rabiot sees no reason why he or his fellow midfielders should feel insulted by those comments, saying: "Why would I feel targeted? 

"Paul has these characteristics, you have to adapt. As a midfielder, we also adapt to different strikers. It's a question of adaptation."

England have staggered and stuttered their way through Euro 2024, but they are nevertheless in another semi-final.

For the third time at a major tournament under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions are in the last four – the only competition in which they have failed to reach that stage since the start of the 2018 World Cup was in Qatar in 2022.

Standing between them and successive European Championship finals are the Netherlands.

Ronald Koeman's team were unconvincing in the group stage but, unlike their opponents in Dortmund on Wednesday, have clicked into gear in the knockouts.

Whereas England required extra time – and a Jude Bellingham stunner – to break Slovakian hearts, and then stayed perfect from the spot and relied on a save from Jordan Pickford to beat Switzerland on penalties, the Oranje overcame Romania 3-0 and Turkiye 2-1, both inside 90 minutes.

But what does the data suggest ahead of the second Euros semi-final, with a place in the Berlin showpiece, against either France or Spain, on the line?

What's expected?

England have been clear favourites, according to the Opta supercomputer, for every match they have played at Euro 2024 so far. But that is not the case for this tie.

The model gives England a 37.8% chance of victory, just marginally more than the Netherlands' 31.6%; the draw threat (so, the likelihood of extra time and a penalty shoot-out) is coming in at a relatively large 30.6%.

That's not particularly surprising considering England have gone to extra time in both of their knockout ties so far.

Only Portugal at Euro 2016, Spain at Euro 2020, and Italy at Euro 2020 have ever gone to extra time three times in a single edition of the finals.

This is the fourth meeting between England and the Netherlands at a major tournament; the Oranje won 3-1 at Euro 1988 (thanks to a Marco van Basten hat-trick), followed by a goalless draw at the 1990 World Cup, and a 4-1 England win at Euro 1996.

Of all the nations England have faced 20+ times in their history, only against Brazil (15%) do they have a lower win rate than they do against the Netherlands (27% – six wins, nine draws, seven defeats).

In fact, England have won just one of their last nine meetings with the Netherlands in all competitions (four draws, four losses), winning a friendly 1-0 in Amsterdam in March 2018.

Back-to-back?

While Southgate has come under criticism for the level of performances in Germany, his major tournament record is hard to argue with.

England went 22 years between 1996 and 2018 without reaching a semi-final. Since the start of that tournament in Russia, England have reached the stage three times.

Indeed, having gone 65 years without reaching a final, England are now on the brink of back-to-back appearances in a major tournament's biggest event.

This is England's fourth appearance in the semi-final of the European Championships; having been eliminated in the first two in 1968 (vs Yugoslavia) and 1996 (vs Germany), the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020 after beating Denmark 2-1, only to lose on penalties to Italy at Wembley.

Bukayo Saka cast aside the demons of that final shoot-out with his composed effort from 12 yards against the Swiss, and it was his superb strike that forced extra time in the first place.

There have been five occasions of a team reaching the final of consecutive editions of the Euros; USSR (1960/1964), Germany (three times, 1972/1976, 1976/1980, 1992/1996) and Spain (2008/2012).

Change the record

For the Dutch, it will be a sixth semi-final at the Euros. They have lost their last four, with the one they won coming in 1988 – they went on to win that tournament, with Van Basten scoring one of the most famous goals in the competition's history in the final, which took place in Munich.

This is the Netherlands' first Euros semi-final since 2004. On that occasion, they lost 2-1 to host nation Portugal.

The Netherlands have won two different matches having conceded the first goal at Euro 2024, beating Poland 2-1 in the group stage and Turkiye by the same scoreline in the quarter-final.

Only Czechia, at Euro 2004, have ever won three games having conceded first at a single edition of the tournament, but it does show England – who have proved comeback specialists themselves in the knockouts – must be wary.

The Netherlands have scored nine goals across their five games at Euro 2024, while their 8.12 expected goals (xG) ranks them fourth in the competition.

England, on the other hand, have mustered just 4.36 xG, scoring five times. The Oranje also average more touches in the opposition box than the Three Lions (29.8 per game compared to 25.6).

Defensively, both of these teams have been tight, conceding just seven goals between them, but if the Dutch are to change the record when it comes to their Euros runs in the modern era, this is as good a chance as any.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Netherlands – Memphis Depay

In Depay (17 shots, 10 chances created) and Cody Gakpo (13 shots, 11 chances created), the Netherlands are the only side with more than one player to have both 10+ shots and 10+ chances created at Euro 2024.

Indeed, one or both of Depay and/or Gakpo have been directly involved in 47 of the Netherlands' 74 shots at these Euros (63.5%), and six of their nine goals (66.7%).

While Gakpo has been their primary goalscorer, and has a shot at the Golden Boot, Depay has that magical touch when he's on his best form, and displayed his quality with an excellent delivery for Stefan de Vrij's equaliser against Turkiye.

England – Harry Kane 

Coming into the semi-finals, no player has scored more knockout stage goals in the competition’s history than Harry Kane (five, level with Antoine Griezmann).

Kane scored in the semi-final of Euro 2020 against Denmark; only two players have ever scored at this stage of consecutive European Championships – Viktor Ponedelnik and Valentin Ivanov, both for USSR in 1960/1964.

That being said, despite scoring twice in Germany so far, Kane has largely cut a frustrated figure, and has managed just 23 touches in the opponent's box throughout the tournament.

Didier Deschamps is unperturbed by criticism of France's style of play at Euro 2024, telling the team's critics not to bother watching Les Bleus if they are bored.

France are preparing for their fourth semi-final in six tournaments under Deschamps, with Spain standing between them and a place in Sunday's final in Berlin.

Despite Les Bleus finding themselves in contention at the business end of yet another tournament, they have been fiercely criticised after failing to hit top form in attack.

Four goals have been scored in their five matches at the tournament (three for, one against), with all of them either being own goals (two) or penalties (two).

France are the only team on record at a European Championship (since 1980) to have 50 or more non-penalty shots and fail to score any of them (86), with Kylian Mbappe's spot-kick versus Poland in the group stage the only goal scored by a Bleus player thus far.

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting with a Spain team regarded as the most enterprising at the tournament, Deschamps was asked by a Swedish reporter what he made of the criticism France have faced.

"If you're bored, watch something else! You don't have to watch us," Deschamps replied. 

"It's a special Euros, where it has been very difficult for everyone. The number of goals is much lower than it has been in the past. 

"We have the ability to share emotions, to make the French people happy with the results we have been able to achieve, in a complicated period in France. 

"If the Swedes are bored, it doesn't matter too much to me."

Euro 2024 has seen an average of 2.25 goals per game ahead of the semi-finals (108 in 48 matches), the sixth-lowest figure in history after the 1968 (1.4), 1980 (1.93), 1996 (2.06), 2016 (2.18) and 1992 (2.13) editions.

France's struggles in attack can be at least partly attributed to Mbappe's disrupted tournament. He missed Les Bleus' second group game after suffering a broken nose in their opener and has struggled for form since returning to the team.

At Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 combined, he has scored just one goal from 34 attempts with a 3% conversion rate. At the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he netted 12 times from 39 shots (31%).

Deschamps feels Mbappe is getting stronger as the tournament progresses, though.

"We did everything we could to make sure he recovered, I'm convinced that he's been at his best level possible since the start," he said of the Real Madrid forward. 

"It's not just related to the last game, everything he had before, with the end of the season, a back problem, the trauma he had. The tournament could have ended for him. 

"He has a new situation, wearing a mask leads to having modified vision. It was a big shock, we had to digest it. He will do everything to be at the maximum."

Luke Shaw does not understand criticism of England manager Gareth Southgate, who is looking to lead the Three Lions to successive European Championship finals.

Having lost the final of the delayed 2020 edition on penalties to Italy, England are just one game away from the Euro 2024 showpiece game after beating Switzerland on spot-kicks on Saturday.

They face the Netherlands in the last four on Wednesday, with Southgate looking to become the first Three Lions manager to lead the team to a tournament final on foreign soil.

Saturday's quarter-final was Southgate's 100th game in charge of England. He has led the team to three semi-finals in four tournaments at the helm, after they reached two semi-finals in their previous 17 competitions before his appointment.

His 13 major tournament (World Cup/Euros) wins are the most of any Three Lions boss, while only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals as manager (210).

Despite his record, Southgate has continued to be criticised over a perceived negative approach in Germany, with some fans throwing cups at him after a goalless group-stage draw with Slovenia.

"I don't understand the criticism," Shaw said on Monday. "What he's done for the country and us players, he's taken us to the next level. 

"No manager has been as successful as he has recently. Us players love him, he's exactly what we need. 

"He allows us to go out on the pitch and be our best. He's shown a lot of faith and trust in picking me."

Shaw made his first appearance of the tournament off the bench against Switzerland, having seen his 2023-24 season ended in February by a hamstring injury.

While the Manchester United man has not enjoyed watching on from the sidelines, he was always convinced England would progress despite falling behind in both of their knockout ties thus far, against Slovakia and Switzerland.

"It was tough. I felt more nervous watching than playing, it is quite tough," he said. "I never once thought that we were going to go out, we have to believe right to the end.

"Good moments like Jude Bellingham's [overhead kick versus Slovakia] can happen, but it's down to us to deliver that on the pitch. Game by game we are getting better, there's things we can still improve on but we're looking good."

Al-Ettifaq boss Steven Gerrard says it would be a "dream" for Lionel Messi to follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League for one last head-to-head battle.

Messi and Ronaldo both turned their backs on European football in 2022-23, the Portugal great swapping Manchester United for Al-Nassr and the Argentine moving to MLS outfit Inter Miami.

Those moves look to have ended one of the most iconic rivalries in football history, with both players unlikely to represent their national teams at the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Hilal attempted to lure Messi to Saudi Arabia before he opted to move stateside, but Gerrard has not given up hope of seeing him play in the country, even suggesting his club as a landing spot.

"It would be a dream for me to have Messi at Al-Ettifaq. He is an incredible player and would be a great asset for the club," the former Liverpool captain told MBC Masr 2.

"I know it's difficult for him to move to Saudi Arabia, but there's nothing wrong with dreaming."

Gerrard refused to be drawn on which of the pair was the greatest player of their generation, however, saying: "Both Cristiano and Messi are incredible players with incredible stories in football. 

"Ronaldo is a great individual goalscorer, while Messi is a more complete team player. I can't really choose between them, they are both legends."

Ronaldo top-scored in the Saudi Pro League with 35 goals in just 31 games in 2023-24, though he endured a miserable Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to score at a major international tournament for the first time in 11 attempts, despite recording a competition-high 23 shots worth 3.6 expected goals (xG).

Messi, meanwhile, has yet to score in three appearances for Argentina at this year's Copa America, though he could yet win a third straight international tournament with La Albiceleste set to face Canada in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Spain's tactical flexibility under Luis de la Fuente has been the key to their emergence as the outstanding team at Euro 2024, believes Rodri.

Some felt Spain could struggle after being drawn with Italy, Croatia and Albania in Group B, but they won all three group games and have continued to impress since then.

They thrashed Georgia 4-1 in the last 16 before overcoming hosts Germany 2-1 in extra time in the quarter-finals, teeing up Tuesday's semi-final meeting with France.

The Opta supercomputer makes France (30%) and Spain (30%) favourites to lift the trophy on Sunday, ahead of England (23%) and the Netherlands (16%) on the other side of the draw.

Many believe Spain have played the best football at the tournament, and they lead all teams in Germany for expected goals (10.3 xG), shots (76) and shots on target (36).

However, La Roja only rank third for their average possession share (57%), behind Portugal (66%) and Germany (62%), with England joining those two teams in completing more passes than De la Fuente's men.

Rodri believes being prepared to sacrifice the country's traditional 'Tika-Taka' ideals against better opponents has been a key factor in their success this year.

"You have to know what you're facing, what you can and can't do. That's what we have done best so far, we've played different teams and understood," he told The Guardian.

"We've played a lot of teams that are good collectively: Italy, Croatia, Germany, teams that like to have the ball like we do, where we have had to understand and interpret, to accept that there are moments we won't have it. 

"In fact, we had less possession than some opponents. There were moments when we had to suffer, resist, be together.

"It's important to see those moments, to understand them. Knocking out the hosts, Germany, is one of the hardest things there could be. In the end, we did it."

The Manchester City star believes being prepared to suffer without the ball will also be key against pre-tournament favourites France, saying: "We have to approach this with the same mentality: play like a big team with the ball and a small team without it. 

"They're very strong physically, hard to overcome, great individuals. They play the way they want to play."

Spain suffered a surprise defeat to Scotland early in their qualification campaign, but Rodri always had faith former under-21 boss De la Fuente would get things right.

"I always had a lot of confidence in this group. I knew the coach and I was convinced that with work and effort we would get it right," he said. 

"He understood that the team needed time to assimilate the ideas, two or three key concepts. Spain and City are similar philosophies but you adapt to the coach. 

"Here we try to be a bit more vertical, without so much possession, but with enough possession to do damage to the opponents."

Enzo Maresca has urged Chelsea's supporters to "trust the idea" and promised to instil an enterprising, aggressive style of play at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca led Leicester City to the Championship title last season before making the move to West London after Mauricio Pochettino's surprise departure.

Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-placed Premier League finish in his only campaign at the helm, also overseeing their penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool in February's EFL Cup final.

Despite an upturn in the second half of 2023-24, Pochettino failed to win over Chelsea's fanbase after the Todd Boehly regime sanctioned an outlay of around £390million (€464m) before the season began.

Maresca's Leicester were known for their progressive brand of football, ranking second in the Championship for possession share (62.3%) and successful passes (25,248) last term while leading the way for expected goals (85.8 xG).

On Monday, Maresca conducted his first interview with the Blues' website and pledged to bring the entertainment to Stamford Bridge.

"We are going to try to be an aggressive team on the ball and off the ball and we need to create this connection between the fans and the club," he said.

"When you have your own fans behind the team pushing, it's like playing with 12 players and this is what we have to create here.

"Trust the process, trust the idea, be behind the team. For sure we are going to enjoy the journey.

"Like at every club, for every manager, it will not be easy because nothing is easy. But for sure we are going to enjoy our journey."

Chelsea begin their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against champions Manchester City on August 18, before travelling to Wolves and hosting Crystal Palace before the season's first international break.

Canada must produce the performance of their lives to have any chance of upsetting holders Argentina to reach the Copa America final, acknowledges Jesse Marsch.

Marsch's team will face the World Cup winners for a final berth at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having overcome Venezuela in a penalty shoot-out in the last eight.

They are just the fourth CONCACAF team to reach the Copa semi-finals and the third to do so on their debut, after Mexico (1993 runners-up), Honduras (third in 2001) and the United States (third in 1995).

They face the sternest of tests next up, however, having already lost to Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina's stars in their opening group-stage game.

Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were on target in that match as Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed 2-0 in Atlanta, rifling off 19 shots worth 3.02 expected goals (xG) to Canada's 10 (1.16 xG).

While Canada have won plenty of admirers on their run to the last four, Marsch knows they need to step up further on Tuesday.

"Argentina will have to be the best match we've ever played and it still might not be enough," he said. "But whatever. We're going to go for it."

Captain Alphonso Davies echoed those sentiments but pointed out Canada had given Argentina a scare in their earlier game, saying: "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and we played well but didn't get the win we wanted."

Argentina boss Scaloni hit out at the quality of the pitch after that earlier meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Messi says the surfaces have had an impact throughout the tournament.

"The pitch always has an influence. It's a reality that the pitches aren't good," he told reporters, as quoted by The Athletic.

"I think the best one was the one in Miami, which was good from what you saw from the outside at least. It's natural and that's already different. Of course, it has an influence."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina – Alexis Mac Allister 

Mac Allister assisted Lisandro Martinez's opener versus Ecuador in the last eight, then held his nerve from the spot as the world champions triumphed in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.

The Liverpool midfielder has two assists at this year's tournament. Since such data began in 2011, only Lionel Messi (in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021) has ever provided three or more assists for Argentina at a single edition of the Copa America. 

Mac Allister has completed 122 of his 135 passes at this tournament, with 70 of those being played in the opposition half. With Canada likely to sit deep, it could fall on him to keep things ticking over and provide service for Messi and his fellow attackers.

Canada – Maxime Crepeau

Crepeau was forced into six saves in Canada's Copa America opener versus Argentina, and he could be busy again here.

However, he has been in excellent form throughout this tournament, conceding three goals from 4.95 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, with only Claudio Bravo (3.66 goals prevented) and Rafael Romo (2.36) overperforming their underlying goalkeeping statistics by a greater margin.

Only Sergio Rochet and Emiliano Martinez (three each) have bettered his two clean sheets at this tournament. He will have his work cut out to keep another, though.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN

Argentina have now reached the semi-finals at seven of their last eight major tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup being the only exception.

They have won their last 10 matches against CONCACAF opponents in official competitions, not conceding a goal in any of their last six such games.

Additionally, the defending champions have reached the last four at five of the last seven editions of the Copa America, and only two of them – Colombia in 2004 and Chile in 2019 – failed to make the final. The omens, then, are not good for Canada.

It will be the fifth time Argentina have faced the same opponents twice at a single edition of the Copa America since the current format was introduced in 1993. Two of the previous four instances included a semi-final meeting (Colombia in 1993 and Paraguay in 2015), with the other two including the final (Mexico in 1993 and Chile in 2016).

La Albiceleste did, however, only win one of those four editions, lifting the trophy in 1993, then waiting 28 years to reclaim their place as South America's finest in 2021.

They are assigned an 84% chance of reaching the final by the Opta supercomputer, with Canada out to cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Argentina – 76.7%

Canada – 9.8%

Draw – 13.6%

LA Galaxy maintained the pace at the top of MLS' Western Conference as Gabriel Pec's double earned a 2-1 win over Minnesota United.

Having opened the scoring in the 25th minute, Pec was on hand to tuck home the winner from close range in the 90th minute.

Teemu Pukki had come off the bench to restore parity for Minnesota, who looked set to snap a five-game losing streak.

But it was not to be for the Loons, as Pec's late show ensured the Galaxy returned to winning ways on the back of their defeat to Los Angeles FC in El Trafico.

The Galaxy are level on 43 points with LAFC and Real Salt Lake at the top of the West, while Minnesota are 10th.

Data Debrief: Loons' losing run rolls on

It is now six successive MLS defeats for Minnesota, which marks their worst-ever run in the competition since they joined the league in 2017.

Pec, meanwhile, continues to steal the show for the Galaxy. His two goals came from four shots, three of which he got on target, while the winger also completed six of his seven dribble attempts.