Argentina will lock horns with Venezuela in the Adidas Cup as the Albiceleste brace themselves for the return of Lionel Messi.
Both Argentina and Venezuela will have the opportunity to unveil their new kits when they face off against each other at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
The return of Lionel Messi will be the talking point of this international friendly, known as the Adidas Cup. The Barcelona superstar stepped away from the international scene following a dreadful 2018 World Cup campaign, but is now poised to make his return against Venezuela on Friday.
This will be one of Argentina’s last two international friendly matches before the South American giants gear up for the Copa America 2019 in the summer. As for Venezuela, they will look to start this year on a positive note, especially after missing out on the World Cup last year.
And with La Vinotinto set to compete in the Copa America as well, the friendlies will help coach Rafael Dudamel identify his strongest combination, though his side have failed to win either of their last two matches, against Japan and Iran, respectively.
Argentina, on the other hand, are coming on the back of three wins from their last four matches, with their only defeat coming against Brazil back in October last year. And here, at the Hard Tackle, we take a look at both the sides ahead of this highly anticipated encounter this week.
Team News & Tactics
Argentina
Argentina are always identified as an attacking side, thanks to the series of world class forwards that the country has produced. But, it is the defensive unit that coach Lionel Scaloni has managed to rejuvenate since their World Cup debacle last year, with the Albiceleste conceding only one goal in seven matches since August.
Having said that, Scaloni could still make a host of changes to the side that secured a win against Mexico back in November. Gonzalo Montiel has done well for River Plate this season and could start ahead of Gabriel Mercado in the right-back slot, making his Argentina debut in the process, while Nicolas Tagliafico is almost a guaranteed starter on the opposite flank.
Mercado, however, could shift into the central defensive slot in the absence of Nicolas Otamendi and the veteran defender will be partnered by the young Juan Foyth. The Tottenham centre-back has impressed in the limited opportunities he has received under Mauricio Pochettino this season and it will be interesting to see how he performs on the international stage.
Leandro Paredes is definitely the favourite to start at the base of Argentina’s 4-3-3. The PSG star will be partnered by Giovani Lo Celso and Paulo Dybala, who will operate in a more advanced role.
In attack, Angel di Maria has been ruled out with an injury, which could pave the way for Angel Correa to start in the left-wing slot, with Lionel Messi occupying the opposite flank. Scaloni is currently devoid of options in the attacking department at the moment, meaning the 40-year-old could hand Lautaro Martinez an opportunity to shine on the big stage.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Armani; Montiel, Mercado, Foyth, Tagliafico; Paredes, Dybala, Celso; Messi, Martinez, Correa
Venezuela
Venezuelan head coach Dudamel has mostly switched between the 4-1-4-1 and a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time in charge. But, we expect the 46-year-old to deploy a 4-3-3 in order to mirror Argentina’s formation with two advanced midfielders.
DC United midfielder Junior Moreno is expected to start at the base of the 4-3-3 alongside Tomas Rincon and Yangel Herrera, both of whom will keep a close eye on Lo Celso and Dybala. Moreno, in particular, will be tasked with the responsibility of providing the defensive cover for the backline.
Venezuela’s four-man backline will likely consist of Roberto Rosales, Yordan Osorio, Jhon Chancellor and Luis Mago. Rosales and Mago will occupy the full-back slots, while Osorio and Chancellor will have the daunting task of containing the mighty Argentine attack.
In the final third, it won’t be surprising to see Josef Martinez getting the nod ahead of Salomon Rondon, although the former Zenit star is almost guaranteed to make an appearance later in the game. Martinez will be supported by the wide duo of Darwin Machis and Jhon Murillo.
Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Farinez; Rosales, Osorio, Chancellor, Mago; Moreno, Herrera, Rincon; Murillo, Martinez, Machis
Key Stats
- The last two meetings between Argentina and Venezuela have ended in score draws
- Despite that, Argentina have a formidable record of 14 wins from 17 games
- Argentina have scored 10 goals in the past four meetings.
- Argentina have conceded only one goal since August.
- Venezuela are winless in their last two matches.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
As iterated earlier, the return of Lionel Messi will remain the main talking point of this international friendly as the Argentine superstar looks to guide his team into the upcoming Copa America this year.
Messi’s expected return already had a great impact on sales this week and the organisers are expecting a large crowd when Argentina and Venezuela collide at the Wanda Metropolitano on Friday.
But, from a sporting perspective, it will be interesting to see Messi links up with a completely rejuvenated Argentina squad, especially given the absence of players like Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria among many others.
Prediction
Argentina 2-0 Venezuela
Argentina have enjoyed a rich vein of form under Scaloni and given their impressive defensive record under the 40-year-old, we expect La Albiceleste to remain solid and churn out a comfortable 2-0 win against their South American rivals at the Wanda Metropolitano this week.
