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KANSAS CITY, MO — Argentina hasn't had an easy go of things in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage.
Cape Verde pushed the defending champions to extra time, then scored a goal to make it 2-2 in that period before Argentina found a third. And in the round of 16, Egypt took a 2-0 lead before Argentina stormed back to win in regulation and set up a quarterfinal match with Switzerland on Saturday, July 11.
So, will manager Lionel Scaloni make big changes? It's unlikely.
While Argentina didn't have its best performance against Egypt, Scaloni liked a lot of what he saw on the field.
In fact, there is speculation that Scaloni may utilize the same starting lineup he did against Egypt, repeating the XI for just the fourth time in his 102-match tenure.
"It wouldn't be absurd to repeat the team, although there also could be a change," he said Friday night at his pre-match news conference.
Clearly, the possibility of rolling out the same squad, with Leandro Paredes having excelled in midfield in his first start of the tournament and plenty of attacking chances generated, is something Scaloni and his coaching staff are considering.
Lionel Messi will keep his starting spot, having received praise from his manager after the one-goal, one-assist showing in the win over Egypt.
The one change we are forecasting comes up front, where there has been a consistent battle for playing time between Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez ever since the Atlético Madrid forward recovered from an ankle issue.
While he had a fine game against Egypt, the insertion of Martinez allowed Messi to float more to the right wing, where he looked more comfortable and had more influence on the game. That said, Alvarez also kept his place on the field, and Scaloni pointed out Friday night that the forwards had played together earlier in the World Cup, starting against Jordan when Messi rested for the first hour of the group match.
Still, it seems likely he'll pick just one. We're giving the nod to Martinez because of the space he clears, but it would be no surprise if Alvarez is in the XI.
Goalkeeper: Dibu Martinez
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolás Tagliafico
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina lineup today: Projected starting XI for World Cup quarterfinal vs. Switzerland
Continue reading...
Cape Verde pushed the defending champions to extra time, then scored a goal to make it 2-2 in that period before Argentina found a third. And in the round of 16, Egypt took a 2-0 lead before Argentina stormed back to win in regulation and set up a quarterfinal match with Switzerland on Saturday, July 11.
So, will manager Lionel Scaloni make big changes? It's unlikely.
Could Argentina go unchanged from its last World Cup match?
While Argentina didn't have its best performance against Egypt, Scaloni liked a lot of what he saw on the field.
In fact, there is speculation that Scaloni may utilize the same starting lineup he did against Egypt, repeating the XI for just the fourth time in his 102-match tenure.
"It wouldn't be absurd to repeat the team, although there also could be a change," he said Friday night at his pre-match news conference.
Clearly, the possibility of rolling out the same squad, with Leandro Paredes having excelled in midfield in his first start of the tournament and plenty of attacking chances generated, is something Scaloni and his coaching staff are considering.
Who will accompany Lionel Messi in attack?
Lionel Messi will keep his starting spot, having received praise from his manager after the one-goal, one-assist showing in the win over Egypt.
The one change we are forecasting comes up front, where there has been a consistent battle for playing time between Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez ever since the Atlético Madrid forward recovered from an ankle issue.
While he had a fine game against Egypt, the insertion of Martinez allowed Messi to float more to the right wing, where he looked more comfortable and had more influence on the game. That said, Alvarez also kept his place on the field, and Scaloni pointed out Friday night that the forwards had played together earlier in the World Cup, starting against Jordan when Messi rested for the first hour of the group match.
Still, it seems likely he'll pick just one. We're giving the nod to Martinez because of the space he clears, but it would be no surprise if Alvarez is in the XI.
Argentina probable XI vs. Switzerland
Goalkeeper: Dibu Martinez
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolás Tagliafico
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina lineup today: Projected starting XI for World Cup quarterfinal vs. Switzerland
Continue reading...
