World Cup 2018: 4 things Argentina could do in order to beat Nigeria
Argentina have been really poor in the World Cup this term, failing to earn a victory in their 2 group stage matches of the tournament. The Albiceleste found themselves in a critical situation when their terrible performances almost exposed them to an early exit from the competition.
Argentina vs Nigeria Live | World Cup 2018
But fortunately, Nigeria defeated Iceland 2-0 in their recent encounter to throw the qualification race wide open and better Argentina's chances of progressing into the knockout phase. In their final game of the group stage, the Albiceleste need to defeat Nigeria and hope Iceland don't get a good result against Croatia in order to progress.
The African giants were very impressive in their recent clash against Iceland, with Ahmed Musa stepping up and scoring a brilliant brace to seal all 3 points for his nation. The Super Eagles are full of confidence at the moment, after securing 3 points and occupying the second position on the Group D table.
The game against Nigeria will not be an easy one for Argentina as the Super Eagles will also fight for the chance to advance to the next stage. Therefore, we take a look at 4 things the Albiceleste will need in order to defeat their rivals and make it into the second round of World Cup.
#4 Tactical brilliance
There is no denying that Jorge Sampaoli's job is under serious threat due to the mediocre performances of his team in the World Cup this year.
However, the manager has a great chance to save his reputation if he can defeat Nigeria by an adequate margin and secure Argentina's passage into the knockout phase.
The game against the African giants will not be an easy ride, therefore Sampaoli must get his tactics right in order to get a favorable result against the Super Eagles. The manager must try to fit Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi in the same formation and provide an adequate atmosphere for the Barcelona playmaker to operate.
Nigeria are very vulnerable at set-pieces and counter-attacks, therefore Sampaoli must explore these weaknesses in his game plan and also work on improving the overall performances of his team.