Both Argentina and Belgium were very much fancied leading up to the tournament and although they have come this far, neither has really impressed. Argentina were dragged by the scruff of the neck, kicking and screaming into the Round of 16 by Lionel Messi while Belgium have failed to dominate against the supposedly weaker teams.
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For Argentina, the Round of 16 match against Switzerland is the first match that Messi have not scored in this competition but the Barcelona forward was still the one who laid on the assist for Angel Di Maria’s winner in extra time. Through four matches, Argentina have been largely reliant on the magic of Lionel Messi as the former World Footballer of the Year scored the winning goal in the first two matches before bagging a brace in the final group game against Nigeria. That is not to say that Albiceeste have no other attacking talent. They do in abundance but the challenge for Coach Alejandro Sabella is to get them playing as well as they can, which they are yet to do this summer. What defense wouldn’t be scared of Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria on their day?
However, if anyone can defend against the brilliance of Lionel Messi, it is probably the Belgian defense. Vincent Kompany and co have only conceded two goals in four matches and Coach Marc Wilmots will hope they can build on that for the Argentina game. After seeing the Swiss stifle Argentina’s attack for 118 minutes in the Round of 16, Wilmots might look to set his team up the same way while looking to hit Argentina’s fragile defense on the break. Belgium should have the personnel to execute an effective counterattacking tactic with Eden Hazard having played such a tactic at Chelsea, while their array of wingers can all burst out of the blocks at breakneck speed. Belgium have great depth in the team and Wilmots has been tactically astute all tournament as his subs have scored four of the six goals scored by Belgium so far.
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TEAM NEWS
Alejandro Sabella had to take off Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero in the final group game against Nigeria and it is unclear whether ‘El Kun’ will play any part in this fixture. With Belgium expected to sit deep, Sabella has to come up with a new formula for his star-studded attack to flourish.
The return to form of Romelu Lukaku will have caused Belgium coach Marc Wilmots much delight as the Chelsea youngster came off the bench to score the winning goal against the United States. What remains to be seen however, is whether Wilmots will start the former Anderlecht striker or keep him on the bench as an impact sub.
Probable Lineup
Argentina (4-3-3): Romero; Rojo, Garay, Fernandez, Zabaleta; Mascherano, Gago, Di Maria; Lavezzi, Messi, Higuain
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Vertonghen, Van Buyten, Kompany, Alderweireld; Fellaini, Witsel; Hazard, De Bruyne, Mirallas; Lukaku
PREDICTION
Despite the attentions that Messi will receive in this match, the 27–year old cannot be fully shut down and will always find a way to weave his magic. The Argentine defense however, is another story and will be vulnerable to the pace of the Red Devils. It is a really tough match to call but I’ll stick my neck out to predict a narrow win for Argentina.
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