So it all comes down to this: two golden generations look to end their respective droughts on Saturday evening in Santiago. Lionel Messi leads Argentina into a second final in the space of a year desperate to end La Albiceleste’s 22-year wait for a trophy while Chile arrive with the best opportunity to finally capture the Copa América in their history. It is a meeting between the best two sides in this year’s competition; the hosts against the bookies’ favourites. The stage is set and the stakes could not be any higher.

Prior to Tuesday night’s semi-final against Paraguay, Argentina had not really clicked and with signs of fragility in defence and an attack that could create chances but not take them, anxiety had begun to creep in. A team blessed with an attack that is second to none in world football, notably including a player that many regard to be the greatest ever, must win a major trophy but prior to hitting Paraguay for six there was a fear that this may slip through its grasp once more. However, Messi in tandem with Javier Pastore, Ángel Di María and Sergio Agüero restored the belief that this is the time for Argentina to end the wait and lift the Copa América trophy for the first time since 1993.

Finally it seemed Gerardo Martino’s plan clicked against Paraguay. Afforded space by a somewhat naive opposition, Argentina were rampant and with Messi dropping deep to pick the ball up, it allowed Pastore the space to roam and the attack to run riot. After such success, Argentina will line-up exactly the same knowing that Chile will defend better than Paraguay but also knowing that under Jorge Sampaoli, a manager schooled in the way of Marcelo Bielsa, Chile will attack.

Marcos Rojo spoke to the press on this aspect of the opposition: “I have seen all of Chile’s games. They like to attack and put on pressure. This leaves them neglected a little in defence, but I think this time they will be more cautious. It will be a heated game, but we are prepared for any type of match. On the pitch we are 11 against 11. If Chile comes looking for the game, they should take care.”

And take care they will. After watching Paraguay get torn apart, Sampaoli and Chile know that they can ill-afford to allow Argentina such space. However, in Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sánchez, Eduardo Vargas and Jorge Valdivia, La Roja have players to hurt Argentina. In the knockout stages of the competition the Argentina defence has been stretched very little and although this is in part down to the starting eleven looking more solid, both Colombia and Paraguay underperformed. Chile will know that with or without Ezequiel Garay, this defence is susceptible to pace and width and the role of the full-backs and Javier Mascherano and Lucas Biglia will be vital.

Garay remains the only doubt for Gerardo Martino after the Zenit St Petersburg defender missed the semi-final with a stomach complaint and is still not 100%. Friday morning’s light training did include Garay, who will be desperate to play in the final, but it is unclear if he will regain his place in the starting eleven. If deemed fit, the thought is that he and Otamendi are the first-choice pairing and Garay will play but Martín Demechelis once again proved against Paraguay that he is an able deputy.

The hope is that Argentina have hit form at just the right time and although Lionel Messi was still unable to score in the six-goal haul in the semi-final, he was simply sublime and the side proved that they have other players capable of taking the responsibility. Captain Messi was asked about this and said: “I hope to God that my goals are being saved for the final, but in the final it doesn’t matter whether the goals come from me or anyone else. We have met our first goal. We have made it to the final of a World Cup and now Copa America. We are coming into it with great hope.”

Messi has nothing to prove but lifting the Copa América trophy on Saturday night will be another landmark in his remarkable career and enhance his reputation further. Now is the time for Argentina to end the wait, this generation must claim international honours and there will never be a better opportunity than tomorrow night. As Messi told reporters before the tournament: “This generation is desperate to win a title with the national team. As a team, we deserve to win something and it would mean so much after the World Cup last year where we came so close.”

Starting eleven vs Chile: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay or Martín Demechelis, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Rojo; Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Javier Pastore; Lionel Messi (C), Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María

Statistics

• This will be the first time Chile and Argentina have faced each other in a Copa America Final.

• Chile have reached their third Copa America final: they lost against Paraguay in 1979 and against Uruguay in 1987.

• Since the new format was introduced in 1993, this will be Argentina’s fourth final. They beat Mexico in 1993 but lost the other two against Brazil in 2004 (via penalty shootout) and 2007.

• Overall, Chile have never beaten Argentina in a Copa America game, drawing five and losing 19 (the meeting in 1942 was suspended in the 41st minute and Argentina was rewarded a win).

• Chile have lost nine of their last 10 Copa America meetings against Argentina, failing to score a goal in each of the last six.

• On the other hand, the Albiceleste have found the net in 12 of the last 13 clashes against Chile in this competition, averaging 2.3 goals per game in the process.

• Chile have scored only 12 goals in 24 previous meetings against Argentina in Copa America: a goal every two games on average.

• These two nations have met seven times in Chile, with three wins for Argentina and four draws.

• Neither of the two teams has been able to score more than a single goal in any of these seven meetings in Chile.

• Chile have lost only one of their last nine Copa America games played as hosting nation, winning each of the last three.

• Chile have found the net in each of their last 10 Copa America games – their longest run since 1941 (11 games).

• Chile have won their last three games in this year’s competition – they’ve never won four in a row in a single edition.

• Argentina have lost only one of their last 19 Copa America games (0-3 against Brazil in the 2007 final); they were also defeated in a penalty shootout by Brazil in the 2004 final and Uruguay in the 2011 quarter-final after a draw in regular time.

• Argentina defeated Paraguay in the semi-final by a 6-1 scoreline: only Brazil (7-0 vs Peru in 1997) have scored more goals in a Copa America semi-final.

• Of the four teams left in the competition, Chile and Argentina are the two with the most clean sheets so far (three apiece).

• Both these sides enter the final unbeaten in this edition: Chile have recorded four wins and a draw, while Argentina have won three and drawn two.

• Chile and Argentina have fired the most shots in this Copa America, 61 apiece (excluding blocked).

• They also are the two teams with the highest possession rate in this edition: 70.43% Chile and 66.56% Argentina.

• For the first time in the Copa America each of the two semi-finals saw a player scoring a brace: Eduardo Vargas vs Peru and Ángel Di María vs Paraguay.

• In the semi-final against Paraguay, Lionel Messi became the first player to deliver three assists in a Copa America game over the last two editions (2011 and 2015).

• Jorge Valdívia and Leo Messi have both delivered three assists in this Copa America, more than any other player.

• However, the Chilean is one of the three players to have delivered at least an assist in two different games in this edition (the other two are Dani Alves and Ángel Di María).

• Messi has also attempted more shots (17) and completed more dribbles (36) than any other player in this Copa America.

• However, Arturo Vidal has had more shots on target than any other player (9).

• Javier Mascherano (365) and Gary Medel (332) are the two players with the most passes attempted in this Copa America.

• The next game will be Gary Medel’s and Alexis Sanchez’s 10th Copa America appearance – only Claudio Bravo (13) and Jorge Valdívia (11) have played more games so far in this competition among the Chile current squad.

• Carlos Tévez has not found the net in any of his last 12 Copa America appearances (his last goal came against USA in 2007).