Argentina vs Australia: Argentina look to avoid any shock results
Argentina will look to avoid any more shock results when they face Australia in the round of 16 on Saturday. Despite being among one of the heavy favorites to win this competition, La Albiceleste have had a rather nervy journey so far to this juncture. On matchday one, they suffered a humbling 2-1 loss to a highly unfavored Saudi Arabia side, and while they rebounded by beating Mexico on matchday two, they still did not seem at their very best in their final group stage match against Poland.
Lionel Messi failed to convert from the spot, but fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be too costly as Lionel Scaloni’s side defeated their opponents 2-0 thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez. In doing so, Argentina ensured they finished top of their group, thus avoiding a showdown with reigning champions France, who knocked them out after a 4-3 win at this same juncture four years ago. Certainly, Australia are a much more preferred opponent for the Copa America winners, but after their experience against Saudi Arabia, it’s safe to say that Argentina will not be coming into this contest with an overly confident attitude.
Fatigue could be a concern for the South American giants, as they did face a tough battle against Poland only a few days prior. As such, Scaloni will need to manage his squad efficiently in order to keep everyone fresh for the quarter-finals and perhaps beyond. Having seen their impressive 36 match unbeaten streak snapped by Saudi Arabia, Argentina will need to shake off any doubts if they want to avoid being the victims of another major upset. Should they, as many expect, beat Australia, they will face either the Netherlands or the United States in the quarter-finals.
As for Australia, they recovered following a heavy 4-1 defeat to France to bounce back with two wins, first against Tunisia, and then against a Denmark side many had expected to be one of this competition’s dark horses. The Socceroos have never gotten to the quarter-finals in their entire history, and are only in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2006. To date, they have won just one of their last seven meetings with Argentina (D1 L5), which was back in 1988 during the Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup and saw them win 4-1.
Interestingly, a certain Graham Arnold, who is now in charge of the Socceroos, was part of that squad, and now, the same Arnold will hope to help the team overcome a hurdle that has seen them fail to win all four of their prior meetings with South American sides at World Cups. They will also look to fellow underdog sides for inspiration, including Saudi Arabia, as they aim to pull off what certainly would be an even bigger upset than fans saw on matchday one when the Green Falcons defeated the South American giants.
Will we see another monumental upset? Or will the experience from the group stage finally awaken Argentina from their slumber as the stakes are alot higher at the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
