Argentina vs Croatia preview: Possible lineups, prediction, tactics, Team News and key statistics
Argentina will face Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals on Tuesday, with a spot in the last available to anyone.
Argentina have excelled at the FIFA World Cup 2022 up until this point, and they will fancy their possibilities moving beyond the test of Croatia on Tuesday night at the Lusail Arena.
La Albiceleste, drove by Lionel Messi, figured out how to defeat a troublesome quarter-last test against the Netherlands and got a confidence helping penalty shootout triumph against Louis van Gaal’s side. They will be ready for business and energy heading into this game. Furthermore, it will be intriguing to check whether they can put Croatia to the sword this week.
In the temporary, Croatia have surpassed beliefs again at the World Cup up until this point. What’s more, they dispensed with competition top picks Brazil in the last round. The Vatreni have shown great guarded association, and they will expect to close out Argentina’s world-class attacking unit tomorrow.
Once more croatia figured out how to arrive at the finals of the 2018 version, and they will expect to accomplish a comparable accomplishment. The Hard Tackle investigates the experience in front of the most recent gathering between the different sides.
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Team News & Tactics
Argentina
Argentina have no significant injury worries in front of the high power semi-last conflict against Croatia. Be that as it may, Lionel Scaloni will be without the administrations of Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna because of suspension.
La Albiceleste are supposed to arrange in a 4-3-3 development, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. Nahuel Molina dazzled in his last excursion and ought to begin as the right-back here. Nicolas Tagliafico will delegate without a trace of Acuna as the left-back. Taking everything into account, Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi are basically ensured to begin.
In the midfield, Rodrigo De Paul will cooperate with any semblance of Enzo Fernandes and Alexis Macintosh Allister. While De Paul is supposed to buckle down protectively and separate the play, any semblance of Macintosh Allister and Fernandez will add inventiveness and drive aside.
In the front three, Lionel Messi is supposed to begin midway with any semblance of Julian Alvarez on the left and Holy messenger Di Maria on the right flank. What’s more, should be obvious that Messi will be the thumping heart for Argentina against Croatia.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez
Croatia
Zlatko Dalic has no significant injury concerns heading into the semi-last conflict this week. What’s more, the Croatia lead trainer ought to have the option to handle his original capacity eleven for the game against Argentina.
The 2018 World Cup finalists are supposed to arrange in a 4-3-3 too, with Dominik Livakovic in goal. The 27-year-old has been excellent in the competition such a long ways as he has rescued his side in two penalty shootouts. He will be hoping to have a characterizing effect in this game too.
In the interim, Josip Juranovic, who has been accumulating interest from all quarters, will begin as the right-back, with Borna Sosa highlighting as the left-back. Skilled youthful defender Josko Gvardiol will accomplice Dejan Lovren at the core of Croatia’s safeguard. The two players have done really well in the competition up until this point and they will expect to close out Lionel Messi and co. this time around.
The Croatia midfield three essentially picks itself, with Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, and Mateo Kovacic set to begin. Brozovic will be supposed to complete the protective obligations, while Kovacic and Modric will assist with controlling the ball and set out open doors for the attackers.
In the attack, Ivan Perisic and Mario Pasalic will begin in the wide positions. Lastly, Bruno Petkovic ought to begin as the striker here subsequent to scoring a significant goal against Brazil.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Gvardiol, Lovren, Sosa; Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric; Pasalic, Petkovic, Perisic
Key Statistics
- Tuesday’s clash will https://spylax.com/category/fifa-world-cup/be the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, and first in the knockout stages. Argentina won 1-0 in 1998 before Croatia’s 3-0 win in the 2018 edition in Russia.
- Argentina have won just one of their last seven World Cup games against European sides (D3 L3), beating Poland 2-0 in the group stages this year. However, two of those three draws have resulted in penalty shootout victories.
- Despite being on the verge of reaching consecutive finals, Croatia have not scored first in any of their last nine World Cup games since a 2-1 win over Iceland in the 2018 group stages. This is the furthest into the competition any side has got without opening the scoring in any of their matches.
- Croatia have never failed to score in their ten World Cup knockout stage matches. However, they have also conceded at least once in each of their last eight, with five of their last six such games going to extra time.
- Lionel Messi has both scored and assisted a goal in three different World Cup matches, including two at this year’s tournament (vs Mexico and Netherlands). Since 1966, no player has ever done so in four separate games.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
The Argentine magician will feel this is his final opportunity to win the World Cup, and he will be fired up for the game. And we do not just mean his exploits on the field after his fiery actions after the game against the Netherlands.
Messi has been in fine form at the FIFA World Cup 2022 so far with four goals and two assists to his name. Croatia have an exceptional defence, and Argentina will need Messi’s genius to unlock the opposition’s defence here. So the 35-year-old is our player to watch.
Prediction
Argentina 2-1 Croatia
This is likely to be a close contest with the two sides quite evenly matched. However, Argentina have the better set of attackers and will be the favourites heading into the game against Croatia.
The Vatreni are likely to put up a fight and take this game down to the wire. But La Albiceleste have the quality in the final third to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow win for Argentina here.
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