The Argentine men’s football national team takes on its Austrian counterpart on Monday, looking to secure its spot in the round of 32. The two are set to face off in the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
After beating Algeria 3-0 in its debut with a hat trick by captain Lionel Messi, the Albiceleste needs only one more win to book its spot in the knockout stages.
In front, Argentina will have an Austrian team coached by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, who beat Jordan 2-0 in its debut, and is also placed in a prime spot to secure its spot.
In terms of its starting eleven, Argentina will go out with a very similar lineup to the one that beat Algeria, with the only change being Nahuel Molina in place of Gonzalo Montiel at right back.
Left back Nicolás Tagliafico is back in contention after recovering from a tear in his left soleus muscle. However, he’s expected to be rested to ensure a full recovery.
Scaloni: ‘There’s no easy matches’
Argentine head coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about the Austrian team ahead of the match, admitting that his team will be facing a difficult challenge.
“Austria is a tough opponent,” he said. “They have very good players, they press well, they play a direct style, they had a great qualifying campaign, and we’ve seen that they’re a team to be reckoned with.”
Scaloni said he felt that, with both teams having won their opening games, it “might make for an even better show” and a “difficult and hard-fought” game for Argentina.
“What we’re seeing in the World Cup is that there are no easy games,” he said. “It’s even more pronounced in this World Cup because there are more matches.”
According to Scaloni, group-stage games have “always been difficult for everyone,” and the conditions could be helping the so-called weaker teams, because they “have time to recover and to prepare things they might not have had before.”
Cover image: Seleccion Argentina Twitter
