After overcoming a poor outing against Saudi Arabia, Argentina managed to win their remaining fixtures against Mexico and Poland to secure a round of 16 ticket. La Albiceleste would now like to continue their winning streak and defeat Australia to continue their quest for glory.Once again all eyes would be on Lionel Messi to guide Argentina to victory with a scintillating performance. Another positive for Argentina would be that they have defeated Australia in their previous 4 meetings, a streak Lionel Scaloni would want his squad to continue.
The second match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 will be played between Argentina and Australia. The Albicelestes got eliminated from the group stages at the FIFA 2018 in Russia after finishing as the runners-up at Brazil 2014. This is the first time since 2006 that Australia have gone beyond the group stage. In fact, this is their first chance to go to the quarter-finals
Argentina
Argentina came to the tournament as one of the top contenders to lift the trophy. Millions of fans across the globe were shocked to see their team lose to Saudi Arabia 1-2 in the opening match. There was panic all around, but the South American team showed grit, determination and superiority in their next two matches. They scored twice each against Mexico and Poland, without conceding any. The over-dependence on Lionel Messi has been an issue for the team. However, they showed in their final group stage match against Poland that they can win even without the GOAT. The only issue will be fatigue as coach Lionel Scaloni has complained that they'll be back to field after a little over two days of rest.
Just like Argentina, Australia were defeated in their first match as well. However, it was not a shock for most of the people as they were beaten by the defending world champions, France. Australia were clinical in their next two matches, effective enough to gather six points to equal France and finish second. Australia face grave challenges against a side that were breathlessly attacking Poland in their last match. The Australian defence will play a big role in this match. In Group D, the Socceroos surprised everyone as underdogs by finishing second. They will look forward to shocking people again by defeating Messi and boys.
Key Players
Lionel Messi will be a key player, not as a scorer but as a playmaker. While Australian defenders will focus on him, he’ll assist players like Ángel Di María and Julian Alvarez to score. Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan will be key here as the team will depend on attacking midfielder Riley McGree.
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Date, Time & Venue
The Argentina vs Australia match will be played on December 4 at 00:30 AM (Indian time) in the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan.