Tournament favourites Argentina will at nothing but a win when they take on Mexico in a do-or-die Group C clash on Saturday at Lusail Stadium.
Beaten by Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi’s quest to finally win the biggest trophy in the game got off to the worst possible start.
Tipped as favourites after a 36-man unbeaten streak and a Copa America win to boot, the manner of their performance albeit against an excellent Saudi side will be of huge concern.
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Mexico looked a bit toothless in their last match with Poland and thanks to the brilliance of Guillermo Ochoa who saved a Robert Lewandowski penalty, they are still hanging by a thread.
Kickoff – 17:00 G.M.T
Venue – Lusail Stadium
Team news
Lisandro Martinez is surely pushing for a start given the problems the Argentine defence encountered against Saudi Arabia. Julian Alvarez is another who could come in, with Lautaro Martinez proving ineffective on Tuesday.
For Mexico, there are no fresh injury concerns.
Predicted Argentina lineup (4-3-3):
E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, L. Martinez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Di Maria
Predicted Mexico lineup (4-3-3):
Ochoa; Sanchez, Montes, Moreno, Gallardo; Alvarez, Herrera, Chavez; Lozano, Martin, Vega
Odds/prediction
Both teams will be pressing for a win and Argentina’s superior quality is bound to give them an edge over their South American counterpart. A slender win for the Argentine might be in the offing given their urge to grab a spot in the knockout.
