Spain vs Argentina: 5 battles that could decide the outcome
The current international break has lined up the best national sides against one another, providing the World Cup-bound teams with some much-needed match practice.
The Estadio Wanda Metropolitano will host one of the most awaited friendlies as Spain will take on Argentina.
La Furia Roja has been a solid unit under Julen Lopetegui and has not lost a game in 17 outings since he took over. Argentina, on the other hand, struggled to qualify for this year's World Cup.
The Spanish would have been said to be the favourites in this tie if not for a certain Argentine named Lionel Messi.
The GOAT's chances of starting tomorrow are 50/50 at best but Argentina's hopes of getting a result depend on him. He is the one player to watch out for in this game as Spain will have to be prepared to tackle the great man.
Here is a look at the five key battles that will decide how the match will shape up at the home of Atletico Madrid:
#5 Isco vs Javier Mascherano
Though Isco has not been able to nail down a starting berth at Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane, he has been a regular for Spain since the last Euros. He enjoys the freedom when playing for Spain and it reflects in his performances.
Against Germany, his link-up play with David Silva and Andres Iniesta was eye-catching and he will be looking to create chances and trouble the Argentinian side with his playmaking abilities.
With Silva out of tomorrow's game, the onus will be on the Madrid man to be the creative force alongside Iniesta.
The man that might be charged to stop Isco from having a free reign will be Javier Mascherano.
He recently admitted his preference to play in midfield and will be looking to prove a point by stopping the industrious yet highly creative Spanish midfield.
A lot will depend on how Mascherano negates the guile and nimble feet of Isco which may eventually decide the outcome of the match.