The only team to beat Argentina in the nine matches so far, Venezuela have grown into a confident side who believe they could also defeat the group leaders on their home patch.
"Venezuela have progressed and everything they have achieved was earned because this team is quite different from that playing the qualifiers years ago," Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano told reporters.
"It's motivating to beat Argentina or get a good result against them," said coach Cesar Farias. "Nowadays it's not crazy to think of taking points at the Monumental.
"This Argentina is much better than [the team] that went to Puerto de la Cruz but Venezuela are also a more mature national team," he told reporters.
Lionel Messi's team will want a good result at the Monumental ahead of their daunting trip to high-altitude La Paz four days later when they will be out to avenge a 6-1 pasting by Bolivia when Diego Maradona took Argentina there in 2009.
Messi, who has had his baby son Thiago's name tattooed on his left leg, shares top place in the scorers' list in the qualifiers with team mate Gonzalo Higuain and Uruguay's Luis Suarez, with seven goals.
Striker Radamel Falcao has notched up five goals and Porto's James Rodriguez has been equally influential from midfield.
Venezuela, in the last of the four qualifying berths for next year's finals in Brazil, have 12 points, ahead of Uruguay on goal difference.
Sampaoli will be without Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, who is serving out the remainder of a three-match suspension in the two March qualifiers, but Chile welcome back Gary "Pitbull" Medel, who can put some bite back into their midfield.
