Argentina vs Brazil: 5 key battles | FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers
Argentina are one step closer to securing their spot in the FIFA World Cup 2022 finals. Before they can earn that place, they face the in-form Brazil at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario on Tuesday.
The previous encounter between the two footballing giants was postponed in bizarre circumstances in September. After a few minutes in the match, Brazilian health officials came on the pitch to remove four Argentinian players. They accused the players of not following the Covid protocols.
The match was eventually suspended. So this game assumes even greater significance.
Brazil have secured their passage into the main event following their 1-0 win over Colombia last time around. It remains to be seen whether Tite chooses to rest his key players for the high-profile clash against Argentina.
🇧🇷 Congratulations Brazil 👏👏👏
👑 The five-time #WorldCup champs become the first South American nation to win their way to Qatar 2022 ✈️🇶🇦 https://t.co/WCeKIWT1hi
Lionel Messi to start for Argentina
Lionel Messi was limited to a 15-minute cameo in Argentina's 1-0 win over Uruguay. However, he has been given the green light to start here, which will be a talking point from the game.
Both teams rely on their attacking flair on the pitch but have also had the best defensive record of the campaign. The game should make for an interesting watch.
The two sides are gearing up for what promises to be a great footballing contest. So here we take a look at the five key battles to watch out for in the game.
#5 Rodrigo De Paul vs Casemiro
Rodrigo De Paul has is a creative midfielder but has also played well in a box-to-box role for Argentina. Though he has not seen much involvement in front of goal, his effort in the middle of the pitch has not gone unnoticed.
He is effective in shielding the back four and also a good conductor to get the ball from the defensive third to the final third. His position in the formation will pit him directly against Casemiro.
Casemiro is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and has quite a few defensive tricks up his sleeve. His tough-tackling style will be a challenge to the Argentina midfielder's creativity. This will also be the first meeting between the two players who will also square off in La Liga later this season.
#4 Angel Di Maria vs Marquinhos
Teammates at PSG, Angel Di Maria and Maquinhos will be pitted against one another on Tuesday. Di Maria's pace and wicked left foot will make him one of the most dangerous wingers on the pitch on Tuesday. He scored the winning goal against Uruguay and should be a player to watch out for Brazil.
While that was just his first goal of the tournament, it was just a glimpse of what the former Manchester United player is capable of. Argentina could rely on him if Messi's involvement is again curtailed by precautionary measures due to his knee injury.
Apunten, disparen, ¡Ángel Di María! ⚽🚀
#EliminatoriasSudamericanas https://t.co/nfCSNnaEYd
Marquinhos has helped Brazil keep a tight ship at the back and has featured in 10 of the 12 games for Selecao. He has also been a good addition in front of goal and has already found the back of the net twice. Having trained with Di Maria for a long time now, he will be hoping to keep him in check.
Also See: Top 5 national teams with the most fans in the world