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Uruguay and Colombia face off in the Copa America semi-finals on Thursday morning, with both sides battling for a rare place in the competition’s final.
Uruguay have only been in the final once this century, with a solitary final appearance in 2011 ending in their 15th win in the tournament.
And Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been impressive on their run to the semis, beating Brazil on penalties after winning all their group games.
They’ll face a Colombia team that has scored 11 goals on their run to the last four, having beaten Panama 5-0 in the quarter-finals. Los Cafeteros have won the competition only once, in 2001, and will be looking to make just their third-ever final.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
When is it?
Uruguay v Colombia will kick off at 1am on Thursday, July 11th at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Premier Sports 1, with coverage starting at 12:50am. Sky TV customers can watch on channel 412, while Virgin Media customers can watch on channel 551. Amazon customers can also subscribe to Premier Sports via Prime Video.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Team news
Right-back Nahitan Nández will be suspended for Uruguay after his sending off against Brazil. Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo came off within 35 minutes of that game, and is likely to be out for an extended period.
These absences leave the door open for a return to the starting line-up for Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez, while Guillermo Varela is the only other recognised right-back in the squad, so he will likely replaced Nandez.
The rest of the side is likely to remain the same, with Manuel Ugarte and Fede Valverde anchoring the midfield and Darwin Nunez leading the attack, Luis Suarez will be hoping to contribute from the bench and take his nation one step closer to international glory as he nears his retirement.
Colombia have no injury or suspension concerns, with Jefferson Lerma returning from a one-match ban. He’ll likely replace Uribe in midfield.
There’s no immediate need for any more changes to the Colombia eleven, with James Rodriguez impressing in the five-goal win, and players such as Luis Diaz guaranteed a place in the side.
Predicted line-ups
Uruguay XI: Rochet; Varela, Gimenez, Olivera, Vina; Ugarte, Valverde; Pellistri, de la Cruz, Araujo; Nunez.
Colombia XI: Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Cuesta, Mojica; Rios, Lerma, Arias; Rodriguez, Cordoba, Diaz.
Odds
Uruguay 9/5
Draw 19/10
Colombia 17/10
Prediction
Both sides are flying in the competition so far, and the odds reflect just how tightly matched they are. Uruguay are suffering from some important injuries, but they should still edge it, thanks to their overall starting eleven quality and in part due to the superior coaching of Marcelo Bielsa. Uruguay 2-1 Colombia aet.
