Bolivia host the World Cup winners in the second round of the South America qualifiers, and on the surface, this may look to be a routine win for Messi and co. Well, not so fast.

After Argentina’s opening match against Ecuador, they must take a five-hour flight to La Paz – a destination not many players will enjoy. The reason? The capital sits 11,890m above sea level and the extreme altitude makes it difficult for those not used to the conditions.

With 50% less oxygen compared to other nations, such as Argentina, players are exhausted and often powerless to resist Bolivia’s direct approach.

It’s not just the breathing difficulties Argentina will face. Due to the lack of air, the football is lighter – notice plenty of visiting nations struggle from set pieces. Argentina famously practised with volleyballs back in 1997 before their visit to La Paz – it didn’t work, ending in a 2-1 defeat.

Bolivia achieved 14 points and scored 17 goals at home in the last World Cup qualifiers – but were also a mess defensively, conceding 14.

Even though Argentina are expected to suffer, it goes without saying they have enough attacking quality to carve open one of the weakest defences in the tournament. A goal, or two, in the first half would give them a chance of a positive result, before fatigue kicks in and Bolivia begin to pile on the pressure.

The South American qualifiers are tough for squads, spending most of their time commuting rather than trying to build relationships on the training pitch. From one destination to another, it’s tough for those who travel from Europe and have adapted to colder climates.

La Paz is at the top of the list for undesired destinations, which is why Bolivia can disrupt Argentina’s defence and find the back of the net. You have to go all the way back to 1973 the last time they didn’t.

Over 2.5 goals has landed between these two nations in La Paz in every match bar one since 1979, and at 1.80 on bet365, it looks like one of the stand-out bets in round two.