Argentina looks to continue its strong Copa America start when it takes on Panama in the second game of the tournament on Friday.

Argentina gets off to a brilliant start against Chile

The Argentines were terrific in their opener, a 2-1 win over defending champion Chile. Argentina took the game to Chile throughout, playing with pace and striking on the counter throughout the lively affair.

Angel Di Maria was the big man of the show scoring the opener from the left side of the box, squeezing the ball past goalie Claudio Bravo.

He then pulled the strings on the second goal, charging at Chile's defense and opening up space for Ever Banega to get off the shot for the second goal.

Will Messi play against Panama?

It is unknown if Lionel Messi will be back for the second game of the tournament as he sat throughout his team's opening 90 minutes. Chile was Argentina's biggest challenge to date and the team passed that test rather well. Coach Gerardo Martino might opt to let his star player rest at least one more game against a significantly inferior foe.

Panama is definitely not as big a challenge as Chile, but the team is still not one that should be easily overlooked. Panama won its opener over Bolivia 2-1 and will certainly look to clinch a spot in the next round with a win over Argentina.

A win for either team essentially puts them through to the next round if there is a draw in the other game between Chile and Bolivia.

Player to Watch

Lionel Messi could be back for this game. Or considering Argentina's fluid performance against Chile, he might get more time to rest putting the onus on Angel Di Maria to carry Argentina yet again. He was lethal against Chile and would be even more so against a weaker Panama side.

History

These teams have only faced off once in their history, a 3-1 win for Argentina back in 2009.

Prediction

Argentina should have no difficulty in this match and will win 4-0. If Messi is in the lineup, this could be even more lopsided.

Schedule and Streaming Info

The game kicks off at 9:30 p.m. It will be televised on Univision and Fox Network. Those with fuboTV subscriptions can also view the game using their mobile devices or computers.

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