Favourites Argentina stand between Chile and the Cup

• The rivals have met 24 times in the tournament, known as the South American Championship until 1975, and the Argentines have never lost, winning 19 and drawing five.
• Argentina have only ever lost one competitive international to Chile, 1-0 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier in Santiago in October 2008.
• That defeat cost coach Alfio Basile his job in his second spell in charge and ushered in the roller-coaster ride under Diego Maradona.
• Yet Basile was the last Argentina coach to win a trophy, steering a side that included record scorer Gabriel Batistuta to back-to-back Copa America titles in Chile in 1991 and Ecuador two years later.
• The teams met twice in 1991, Argentina winning 1-0 in the group stage and drawing 0-0 in the four-team final group in which they also beat Brazil and Colombia.
• The only previous occasion in which they have met in what could be called a final was in the deciding last match of the round-robin tournament in Chile in 1955 with Argentina winning 1-0 when the hosts needed only a draw to prevail owing to their better goals record.
• The occasion was marred by the biggest tragedy in Chilean football when at least half a dozen people were crushed to death in a stampede for tickets made available only a few hours before kick-off.
• Argentina's biggest victories were 6-1 in the inaugural 1916 tournament in Buenos Aires, 6-2 in Lima in 1957 and 6-1 in Buenos Aires in 1959.

We have never been favourites in any tournament and often it is good for us to feel that, because we are full of energy and enthusiasm. We’ve a great chance, playing at home. — Claudio Bravo, Chile captain

If Argentina play that way, like they did against us, Chile have no chance. For the quality of their players, the time they have been working together, I think the result will be very favourable for Argentina. — Ramon Diaz,  Paraguay coach