Peru vs Chile Prediction: The battle of the new coaches

On Saturday, Peru and Chile will start their 2024 Copa America journey at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Peru defeated Chile 3-0 in the 2019 Copa America semi-final and hope to make history with a first back-to-back win over Chile in the Copa America. Can they make history this night? Below are previews, match facts, possible starting 11, expert betting tips, and odds.

Peru

Two-time champions Peru were eliminated in the semi-final of the last edition of the Copa America after suffering a 1-0 loss to Brazil. However, La Blanquirroja heads into this year's edition of the competition unbeaten in their last five games, defeating El Salvador in their previous friendly match. Their new coach, Jorge Fossati, who took over towards the end of 2023, has transformed the team and changed their fortune from a side enduring a 7-winless game before his reign to a side that has yet to taste defeat in 2024. 

Chile

Chile also enter this game with lots of motivation, winning 2 of their last three games. Their coach, Ricardo Gareca, who had previously led Peru to its first World Cup appearance since 1982 in 2018, was appointed in January and has shown excellent managerial skills, winning 2 of their three games. The only loss was a 3-2 loss to France. Moreso, La Roja are filled with many experienced players, with goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Eduardo Vargas, and Alexis Sanchez ready to play.

Possible Starting 11

Peru — Pedro Gallese, Alexander Callens, Carlos Zambrano, Luis Abram, Luis Advincula, Sergio Pena, Wilder Cartagena, Andre Carrillo, Marcos Lopez, Gianluca Lapadula, Jose Paolo Guerrero.

Chile — Claudio Bravo, Mauricio Isla, Guillermo Maripan, Paulo Diaz, Gabriel Suazo, Marcelino Nunez, Erick Pulgar, Victor Davila, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Valdes, Eduardo Vargas.

Match Facts

• Peru conceded just two goals in their last five outings.
• None of the last 20 fixtures between these sides has ended in a draw.
• Peru saw under 2.5 goals in 9 of the last ten games.
• Peru have never won back-to-back games against Chile in the Copa America.
• Chile conceded just three goals in the last three matches.
• Peru have won 3 of their last five games against Chile.
• Chile have won 2 of the last three games against Peru.
• The last three games between Peru and Chile saw under 2.5 goals each.
• Both teams have met 85 times—Chile won 47, Peru won 24, and 14 ended in a draw.

Expert Betting Tips

Both teams have gotten back their rhythm under their new coaches, with Chile winning 2 of the last three games under Ricardo Gareca and Peru remaining undefeated under Jorge Fossati. Moreover, both sides are good defensively. Peru conceded just two goals in the previous five outings, and Chile conceded just 3 in the last three matches. With these stats, I will go for a draw in the first 45 minutes of this game, and I don’t expect the scoreline to be more than two goals. Additionally, I expect two bookings for each side of the game. 

• HT: X for 1.89 odds
• Under 2.5 for 1.60 odds
• Both Sides to Receive 2+ Card for 1.72 odds