- Uruguay and Colombia tied four of the last five head-to-heads after 90 minutes.
- Colombia defeated Uruguay on penalties in the Copa America 2021 quarterfinals.
- Colombia is unbeaten in 14 competitive matches, and Uruguay hasn’t lost in eight.
Uruguay will battle Colombia for a spot in the final four at Copa America 2024 in a rematch of the quarterfinals from Copa America 2021.
Soccer betting odds have this semifinal battle as a near pick ’em, with Uruguay the marginal +170 favourites and Uruguay the slim +180 underdogs.
Four of the last five matches between the two sides ended tied at the end of 90 minutes. Colombia prevailed in the Copa America 2021 quarterfinal, beating Uruguay 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Uruguay vs. Colombia Odds: Copa America 2024
- Uruguay Moneyline: +170
- Colombia Moneyline: +180
- Draw Moneyline: +200
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (+145), Under 2.5 goals (-204)
Uruguay vs. Colombia Prediction
I predict Uruguay and Colombia will require penalties to decide their Copa America semifinal. There is absolutely nothing to choose between these two South American goliaths, and neither team has lost a competitive match since September.
Uruguay is on an eight-match unbeaten streak in competitive matches, last losing 2-1 to Ecuador 10 months ago. Marcelo Bielsa’s team outlasted Brazil in the quarterfinals, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation. It was its fifth clean sheet in the last six.
Uruguay has also kept six clean sheets during its eight-match undefeated run in World Cup qualifiers and at Copa America. Bielsa has a few personnel concerns, however, with Ronald Araujo unavailable after the centre-back sustained a hamstring injury in the quarterfinals.
It’s reported he’ll miss up to six weeks.
A flor de piel 🥹 pic.twitter.com/MyUd48eSuw
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) July 7, 2024
Nahitan Nández is also unavailable after seeing red against Brazil. While both players are staples in Bielsa’s starting 11, their absences shouldn’t cause irreparable damage due to Uruguay’s wealth of experience and depth.
Colombia has been as good, if not better, than its CONMEBOL adversaries. Los Cafeteros hasn’t lost in 14 competitive matches, a streak stretching over two years. Their last defeat in a competitive match came against Argentina in February 2022.
Colombia annihilated Panama 5-0 in the quarterfinal and beat Paraguay 2-1 and Costa Rica 3-0. The only blemish came in a 1-1 draw against Brazil in the Group D finale.
Besides Argentina, there are no better sides in South America. Uruguay is second in CONMEBOL World Cup qualification, while Colombia is a point behind in third.
I expect the script to align closely with the Copa America 2021 quarterfinals tilt, which was decided in penalties after a 0-0 tie.
There is no extra time in the semifinals, with the match going straight to a penalty shootout if it’s tied after 90 minutes. Unless Colombia can capitalize on Araujo’s absence, I expect another nail-biter and a moneyline tie.
Three of four quarterfinals went to penalties, and two of four Euro 2024 final-eight matches were also decided by a penalty shootout, underpinning the level of parity currently in world football.
Wednesday’s semifinal kicks off at 8 p.m. ET from Bank of America Arena in North Carolina.
BetMGM’s online sports betting odds have the moneyline tie at +200.
Best bet: Moneyline tie (+200)