Alexis vs. Funes Mori and Messi vs. Bravo: 5 Key Clashes in Argentina vs. Chile

Argentina face Chile on Monday evening in a match fit for a final and a repeat of last year's Copa America decider.

The Albiceleste recovered some of their lost pride following that 2015 shootout defeat with a 2-1 World Cup qualifier win, but the wounds are still fresh, and much more is on the line than three Group D points. 

Gerardo Martino and Juan Antonio Pizzi's charges proved on that occasion and last year that the two teams are evenly matched, with little to choose between the pair. The fate of the Copa opener in Santa Clara, California, will come down to fine margins, with a tense game almost guaranteed. 

Kicking off with an all-Premier League duel, these are the five individual contests that may prove decisive at full-time come Monday. 

Both Alexis and Ramiro Funes Mori came to prominence at Argentinian giants River Plate, and the pair have become well-acquainted in recent months.

The Arsenal striker got the upper hand in a poor performance by the Argentinian in the Gunners' Premier League win over Everton, but the tables were turned in the World Cup qualifiers. 

The centre-back worked his socks off in one of his first appearances for the national team back in March and helped keep Sanchez quiet in a 2-1 win for the Albiceleste. A similar performance will be needed in the Copa America opener. 

The Chile star will seek to stretch the Argentina back line as he pushes out to the right, with the aim of creating space through the centre. Funes Mori will have to support Marcos Rojo out on the flank, while maintaining the discipline necessary to keep the defence together against the fluid Roja. 

Gary Medel's inclusion at the heart of the Chile defence over the last six years is perhaps the most eloquent tribute to the tactical heritage left by Marcelo Bielsa and his disciple, Jorge Sampaoli.

Pitbull's meagre height of 5'7" makes him a dwarf by the standard of his peers at centre-back, but he makes up for it with an intensity and aggression that is at turns awe-inspiring and downright terrifying. 

The converted midfielder's first challenge in the United States will be to get the upper hand over one Gonzalo Higuain, should Martino opt for the Napoli star. It will not be easy: Pipita smashed 36 goals in the Serie A season, finishing as Capocannoniere by some margin.  

Inter, however, were one of the few teams to deny Higuain on not one but two occasions in 2015-16. Medel played in midfield for those clashes, but he knows how the burly striker moves and will not be afraid to get physical. 

In his best form, Angel Di Maria is one of Argentina's most dangerous players with the ball at feet. The Paris Saint-Germain star has enjoyed a fine season in France and will fancy his chances against the midfielder-turned-full-back Eugenio Mena. 

In typical Bielsa fashion, Mena has transformed from a battling presence in the middle into a reliable defender, always prepared to go on the front foot as Chile surge forward on the counter. With Rojo's attacking talents less than stellar, the former Universidad de Chile man will know that shutting down Di Maria is key to keeping Argentina under wraps on the left. 

Di Maria, meanwhile, will have to be wary himself. If Mena can overlap and link up with Alexis, Chile have a potent attacking weapon, meaning the wiry winger will have to be alert in defence, too, to keep the Albiceleste safe.

It is a mouthwatering matchup in the middle. Dynamic, tireless Arturo Vidal against the dogged battler Javier Mascherano, veteran of hundreds of battles in the Albiceleste engine room and undaunted by any rival.

The pair clashed in 2015's Champions League football with Mascherano at centre-back, but the clash will be far more up close and personal this time round. 

This classic meeting between an irresistible force and an immovable object could go a long way in deciding the fate of the Copa opener. If El Jefecito can keep the Bayern man shackled and unable to burst through, Argentina will be able to repel the worst Chile have to throw at them and move the ball forward quickly against a less than world-beating defence. 

If Vidal comes out on top, on the other hand, the Roja will stream forward in numbers to take advantage of Argentina's overrun midfield. Both players will have to be at their very best to keep the other busy, and their contributions will be vital. 

There will be no surprises for either Claudio Bravo nor Lionel Messi when the pair go head-to-head in Santa Clara. The two captains have faced each other countless times in Chile-Argentina clashes, while long hours on the Barcelona training pitch means they know each other's game inside out. 

Bravo conceded just four goals in Chile's six matches on the way to the 2015 Copa America crown, three of those in a bizarre six-goal draw against Mexico. Messi, meanwhile, was unable to find his best scoring form in last year's tournament but will nevertheless be at the heart of the Argentina attack once more. 

Both players have picked up an inordinate amount of silverware together over the last two seasons in Catalonia, but only one at most can triumph in the United States. Their fortunes in the net during this first game will lay down a marker for the rest of the tournament, as much for the goalkeeper as for La Pulga.