Uruguay will look to record their first victory of the Copa America campaign on Monday, when they take on Chile in Cuiaba.

Oscar Tabarez's men suffered a defeat to Argentina in their only game of the tournament so far, while Chile have collected four points from two matches, with a win sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

Match preview

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Uruguay kicked off their campaign with a major clash against Argentina, and they were narrowly defeated in Brasilia.

Guido Rodriguez opened the scoring after 13 minutes, and Tabarez's men were unable to level the game, returning empty-handed as a result.

That was their fourth straight game without a win in all competitions, after previously being held to disappointing goalless draws by both Paraguay and Venezuela in World Cup Qualifiers at the beginning of June.

Having come into the tournament as one of the favourites to go far, La Celeste will be desperate to put their first points on the board on Monday to quickly cement themselves at the top end of group B, as they look to book their place in the final eight with wins from their final three group matches.

Their opponents come into the game having had a strong start to the group stage, and they can confirm their qualification to the knockout stage with a win.

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In their opening group game, Chile picked up a commendable point as they drew 1-1 with group favourites Argentina.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring for their opponents with a stunning free kick, but Chile equalised on the hour mark as Eduardo Vargas smashed in the rebound after Emiliano Martinez saved Arturo Vidal's penalty, sealing an impressive point to start their campaign.

They then recorded their first win of the tournament last time out, as Ben Brereton netted the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over strugglers Bolivia.

As a result, Martin Lasarte's men find themselves on the brink of qualifying alongside Argentina, and they will be hopeful of securing another win on Monday to not only confirm their spot in the quarter-finals, but also to help achieve a high finish to gain a more favourable draw in the first knockout round.

Team News

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The Uruguay line should be led by the potent pair of Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani and Atletico Madrid talisman Luis Suarez, with the duo having netted a combined 114 goals on the international stage.

They will be supported by the threat of Nicolas De la Cruz, while Tabarez may look to bring in another winger after setting up defensively to take on Argentina, with Brian Ocampo or Facundo Torres likely getting the nod on the right flank.

The change of approach could see midfielder Lucas Torreira sacrificed, with La Celeste potentially preferring a pairing of Real Madrid prospect Federico Valverde and Juventus man Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle.

At the back, former Atletico Madrid pair Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez should continue to partner up at the heart of the back four, having made a combined 205 Uruguay appearances.

Having only recently declared for Chile, Blackburn Rovers attacker Ben Brereton is making his first international appearances at this year's Copa America, and he netted his first goal in his first start to fire them to a 1-0 win last time out, helping him cement a starting spot.

They boast a strong collection of talent across the pitch, with Brereton leading the line alongside Eduardo Vargas, while the midfield is patrolled by the impressive trio of Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Erick Pulgar.

Meanwhile, centre-backs Gary Medel and Guillermo Maripan have both impressed with assured performances in their opening two group games, and will line up together in front of Claudio Bravo again on Monday.

Uruguay possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Gonzalez, Gimenez, Godin, Caceres; Ocampo, Bentancur, Valverde, De La Cruz; Cavani, Suarez

Chile possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Isla, Medel, Maripan, Mena; Aranguiz, Pulgar, Vidal; Brereton, Vargas, Meneses

We say: Uruguay 1-1 Chile

Although Uruguay may boast the narrowly better squad out of the two sides, Chile come into the game with more momentum, having had a strong start to the continental campaign, potentially making this an even affair.

Given those factors, we see the sides sharing the points in a low-scoring draw on Monday between two solid outfits.

Written by
Sam Varley

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