The Chileans are among the favourites to triumph at the Confederations Cup and will be confident of getting their campaign off to a positive start this weekend. La Roja had never won the Copa America prior to 2015, but they have now triumphed in the competition in consecutive years – first on home soil two years ago, and then in a one-off Centenario edition held in the United States 12 months ago. Chile’s golden generation has therefore delivered on its promise, although there is a feeling that the team is now slightly past its peak, which probably came under Jorge Sampaoli in 2015. There will also be a degree of concern about fatigue and burnout; this, after all, will be the fourth successive summer in which the Chileans have competed at an international tournament.
Cameroon upset the odds at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, beating Egypt 2-1 in the final to claim the trophy under the guidance of Hugo Broos. The Belgian boss had to make do without a number of his established players in Gabon, yet he succeeded in making the Indomitable Lions difficult to beat and creating a tremendous team spirit in the camp. Cameroon will therefore be content to be underdogs again this time around, although advancing to the semi-finals ahead of Germany and Chile may prove to be a step too far for the West African nation.
As far as formations go, Chile head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi is rather less flexible than his predecessor and will probably stick with a 4-3-3 in the coming weeks. A midfield trio of Arturo Vidal, Marcelo Diaz and Charles Aranguiz provides drive, energy and technical ability, while Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is a player who can win any game with a piece of magic in the final third. Eduardo Vargas is another one to watch: the 27-year-old attacker, now playing in Mexico with Tigres, has an excellent scoring record at international level.
Cameroon will either line up in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation, the two shapes Broos has switched between during his time in charge. They will focus on being difficult to break down and ensure they do not allow Chile time and space in advanced areas, with their own attacks likely to come on the break. Christian Bassogog will be a threat with his pace and dribbling ability, while Oostende midfielder Sebastien Siani is a crucial figure in the centre of the park.
This could be an intriguing match to open Group B, with Cameroon set to make life as difficult as possible for the Chileans. That will probably not be enough to bring them a positive result, but Pizzi’s side may have to settle for a single-goal margin of victory. A Chile win with both teams to score is worth exploring here, so too a 2-1 triumph in the correct scoreline market.
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