Argentina 'Think We're Good' Ahead of Venezuela Match, Says Lionel Scaloni

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said his side are feeling confident ahead of their Copa America quarter-final showdown with Venezuela on Friday after they beat Qatar in their last match. 

La Albiceleste finished the group stage with a 2-0 win over the Asian champions, who were invited to participate in the tournament alongside Japan.

"We think we're good because we came from a win that gave us a significant emotional boost," Scaloni said ahead of the quarter-final, per Goal's Dejan Kalinic. "It's going to be a difficult game, but we are confident."

Scaloni also noted the pressure his side are under following their victory over Qatar:

"Sometimes, these guys go out to play a soccer game and they seem to go out and play a war. With the pressure on them sometimes it is difficult to play.

"The message should be that while playing in the Copa America we are all on the same side."

Argentina started the tournament poorly as they lost 2-0 to Colombia before being held to a 1-1 draw by Paraguay.

The win over Qatar secured them a place in the last eight, with Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero each getting on the scoresheet.

Argentinian football expert Roy Nemer was pleased with the attacking duo, but he remains concerned about La Albiceleste's defensive capabilities:

Venezuela did not score in their first two matches, which were 0-0 draws with Peru and Brazil, but they beat Bolivia 3-1 in their last outing.

Salomon Rondon's physicality and superb hold-up play can cause Argentina a lot of problems, while Darwin Machis is up and running after he netted twice against Bolivia.

Football journalist Simon Edwards believes Venezuela are in better shape than Argentina heading into the match:

If Scaloni's side are feeling confident after their win over Qatar, it would not come as a surprise if their self-belief turned out to be quite fragile—an early setback could be devastating.

Venezuela will be a significant test for Argentina, one they could easily fail if they don't improve on their previous showings.