Paris 2024 Olympics Hockey: India vs Argentina preview, head-to-head, prediction, team news, and streaming details
The Indian men's hockey team, who made a winning start to their Paris 2024 Olympic campaign, take on Rio Olympic gold medalists Argentina in their second group match on Monday, July 29.
Following India's exhilarating 3-2 win over New Zealand, Craig Fulton's team are level on points with Belgium and Australia but second in the pool behind the defending champions based on goal difference.
The Indians, who have had an encouraging record against Argentina in the recent past, would be keen to notch up a second win to strengthen their position in an extremely competitive pool.
A battling 0-1 loss to Argentina amid heavy downpours in the semifinal of the 2017 Hockey World League Final remains etched in the minds of Indian hockey fans but the scales have tilted significantly since.
After a fledgling Indian side lost to Argentina 2-3 in the 2018 Azlan Shah Cup, Harendra Singh's boys got the better of the Los Leonas 2-1 at the Champions Trophy in Breda the same year.
A comprehensive 3-1 win over Argentina in a pool match at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was followed by a string of wins for the Indians at the FIH Pro League in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Earlier this year, the Argentinians held India to a 2-2 draw at a Hockey Pro League game in Antwerp before going down 4-5 in the second-leg encounter.
Mariano Ronconi's team can bank on the experience of captain Matias Rey in midfield while the seasoned strikers Agustin Mazzilli and Maico Cassella may prove to be a handful for the Indian defence.
India vs New Argentina match details
Match Details: India vs Argentina, Pool Match, Paris Olympics 2024
Date & Time: Monday, July 29, 2024, 4:15 PM IST
Venue: Paris, France
India vs Argentina: Head-to-head
Matches Played: 63
India - 35
Argentina - 20
Draws: 8
India vs Argentina: Full Squads
India
Goalkeeper: Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay
Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh
Argentina
Goalkeeper: Tomas Santiago
Defenders: Juan Catan, Nicolas Della Torre, Federico Monja, Tadeo Marcucci, Inaki Minadeo
Midfielders: Lucas Toscani, Santiago Tarazona, Matias Rey, Thomas Habif, Agustin Bugallo
Forwards: Maico Casella, Tomas Domene, Lucas Martinez, Agustin Mazzilli, Caurro Bautista
India vs Argentina: Prediction
The Argentinians have begun to play a more open game of late as compared to the past which will provide vital space for the Indians to penetrate the striking circle. With a win under their belts, the Indians are unlikely to hold back their natural flow and rhythm.
The fact that Argentina needs a win after going down to Australia also means they cannot afford to sit too deep against India.
Score Prediction: India 4 - Argentina 2
Where to watch Paris Olympics 2024 hockey matches in India?
Hockey matches at Paris 2024 will be telecast in India on Sports 18 channels and streamed live on Jio Cinema.