After Ecuador’s victory over México on Friday night, Argentina are already guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals but with their final group B match against Jamaica on Saturday evening there is still much to play for and for captain Lionel Messi it is a significant milestone. Gerardo Martino has already said that Argentina must ensure top-spot in the group and so despite making a couple of changes it will be a strong line-up that takes to the field in Viña del Mar and for Messi it will be his 100th appearance for La Albiceleste.

Argentina were an improved unit in their victory over Uruguay and although it was only Sergio Agüero’s goal that separated the sides there were certainly signs of improvement. Agüero is likely to be one of only two changes to that side after picking up a slight shoulder injury in scoring the vital winner in the clásico and his replacement will be Gonzalo Higuaín. With qualification already secured and ample depth in the squad there is little point in risking the Manchester City striker, particularly as he has already proved the difference he can make when fully fit. This then is a good chance for Higuaín to remind supporters of his talents when many have begun questioning his place in the side. Certainly Tevez appears to have leapfrogged the Napoli striker in the pecking order but Martino explained that Higuaín is more of a penalty area centre-forward, who can operate in this system better than Tevez, who perhaps drops deeper and performs a different function.

The only other change would be at the back, where Martín Demechelis will come in for Nicolás Otamendi to protect the powerful centre-half from picking up another yellow card and subsequently missing the quarter-final through suspension. Otamendi has undoubtedly claimed the position in the national side but Martino is correct not to risk him against a Jamaica side who, with no disrespect, should not trouble Argentina hugely. Demechelis performed admirably when replacing Federico Fernández during the World Cup and has already announced that this will be his last tournament with the national side before retiring from international football.

Javier Mascherano is also a yellow card away from suspension but Martino has kept his midfield enforcer in the side. With no obvious replacement a midfield without El Jefecito is a very different system but the Barcelona battler will need to tread carefully and not take any unnecessary risks.

Argentina starting eleven Vs Jamaica: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Martín Demechelis, Marcos Rojo; Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Javier Pastore; Lionel Messi (C), Gonzalo Higuaín, Ángel Di María

Saturday’s match is also another milestone in the remarkable career of Lionel Messi, with the 27-year-old set to pick up his 100th cap for Argentina. This select group contains only four other players: Diego Simeone, Javier Mascherano, Roberto Ayala and Javier Zanetti and so Messi finds himself in good company. The Argentina captain is the only forward in the group and with his 46 goals he is rapidly closing in on leading goalscorer Gabriel Batistuta. Now only ten behind Batigol, it is surely another record which will tumble in the near future.

Batistuta scored a hat-trick in the only other competitive fixture against Jamaica when Argentina thumped the Reggae boys 5-0 during the 1998 World Cup in France alongside three of the ‘centurions’ named earlier (Simeone, Ayala and Zanetti). Jamaica face a similarly daunting prospect this evening after losing their opening two fixtures 1-0 but manager Winfried Schäfer was positive when talking to the press.

The German coach said, “We will go to win. We know that it will be difficult, but we have good players, we have been doing well and we will not just defend ourselves. We will be aggressive”.

Jamaica have performed quite well and have certainly shown a defensive doggedness that has proved difficult to break down so far. Against Uruguay in their opening fixture they were perhaps unfortunate to come away with nothing and only a goalkeeping howler by Duwayne Kerr gave Paraguay victory. That being said the Argentina attack is a very different proposition.

Argentina have certainly displayed frailties of their own and Jamaica will be hoping to have some joy with the pace in their side against a defence that is regularly highlighted for it’s lack of speed. In spite of Schäfer’s bullish talk the likelihood is that Jamaica will defend in numbers and look to use their pace on the break.

Statistics

• As it is Jamaica’s first Copa América, there is not exactly an abundance of competition stats. So far the record reads played two, lost two.

• Argentina have played Jamaica twice: a 5-0 win at France ’98 and a 2-1 friendly win in 2010 where two late goals gave Diego Maradona’s side victory in Mar del Plata.

• Argentina has won their last three matches in the Copa América against invited teams, by a margin of three goals (4-1 against the United States in 2007, 3-0 against México in 2007 and 3-0 against Costa Rica in 2011).

• Argentina are unbeaten in nine matches in the group stage of the Copa América. The last defeat was in 2004 against México.

• Sergio Agüero has scored five of the last eight goals scored by Argentina in the Copa América.

• Lionel Messi is the player who has completed the most dribbles in the Copa América after the two rounds of fixtures (17). More than the entire Jamaica team (15).