Australia's Harry Souttar has been their star man of the tournament so far, with the defender keeping a tight ship at the back. 2Julian Alvarez scored his first World Cup goal against PolandCredit: Getty Messi has two goals and an assist for Argentina at the World Cup Despite conceding four goals to France in their opener, Souttar has played an integral part in helping Australia keep consecutive clean sheets for the first time at a World Cup.
This will be the first time since 2006 that Australia have reached this stage of a World Cup, and only the second time in the nation's history. Graham Arnold's men will be hoping to go one step further than 16 years ago however which saw them narrowly lose to eventual winners Italy at this stage. BETTING SPECIAL - GET £40 IN FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP How did they get here? Argentina fell victim to the first of many huge upsets in the tournament as far, with Saudi Arabia stealing a shocking 2-1 victory from the grasps of the Lionel Scaloni's side in their opening fixture. However they bounced back impressively winning their next two games 2-0 against Mexico and Poland respectively to finish on top of Group C Australia began their campaign in similar fashion, losing 4-1 to reigning champions France after going a goal ahead.
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Instead, the Socceroos qualified for the knockout phase for only the second time in their history. The only other Australia side to make it this far was the golden generation of 2006. At most, only one member of the current team would make it into the starting XI from 18 years ago. Yet Graham Arnold’s side have upset the odds to match that historic accomplishment. The coach deserves a huge amount of credit. Australia finished a distant third in their Asian qualification group, behind Saudi Arabia and Japan. They needed a penalty shoot-out to overcome Peru in the inter-confederation play-offs.
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Lisandro Martinez could return for Argentina while Nicolas Tagliafico will also aim to start ahead of Marcos Acuna at left-back. Enzo Fernandes has impressed in recent games and will be hoping to beat Leandro Paredes to a place in the starting XI. For the Socceroos, Aaron Mooy will be hoping to keep his place while Mitchell Duke will look to lead the line after impressing during the tournament so far. How Australia lined up against Denmark Who will be the star men? Lionel Messi, who will be playing his 1000th career game, has undoubtedly been Argentina's star man for the last decade, and the PSG forward has continued to impress during the tournament, winning the man of the match award against Mexico. Premier League duo Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez will also be looking to capitalise on their good performances against Poland which saw them grab a goal each.
But like their opposition, consecutive wins in their final two games over Tunisia and Denmark meant Australia qualified in second place, just missing out on top spot due to goal difference. Team news Both sides are set to have fully fit squads to choose from when they face off in the last-16. However, with such a short turnaround to games, the managers could opt to make several changes ahead of the clash.
Messi, Argentina try to avoid World Cup upset vs. Australia
Argentina were aided by a dismal display from their opponents, but there was a rhythm to their play on Thursday that was missing previously. That suggests the Albiceleste might be serious contenders after all. Australia Hoping For Another Mini-miracle In The Round Of 16 Most Australia fans were pessimistic going into this tournament. Drawn alongside France, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, the consensus was that a third-place finish was the best they could hope for.
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Argentina vs Australia Predictions, Best Bets, OddsArgentina Bounce Back From Stunning Upset To Top Group CIn the end, Argentina made it through to the knockout stage of World Cup 2022 pretty comfortably. A shock early exit was a very real possibility when Lionel Scaloni’s side suffered a stunning 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest upsets in the history of this competition. But consecutive 2-0 victories over Mexico and Poland saw them advance as Group C winners. That defeat by the Saudis threatened to throw Argentina’s entire campaign off course.
There were few signs that Australia were about to do something special in Qatar. That feeling was reinforced when they were thumped 4-1 by France on matchday one. But Australia responded brilliantly, beating both Tunisia and Denmark 1-0 to go through in second spot. In the decisive game against the Danes, Australia faced a team with 10 players who ply their trade in one of Europe’s top five leagues (the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga), compared to none of their own.
Yet with a heady mix of grit, spirit and supreme organization, the Socceroos got the result they needed. In the end, it was pretty comfortable: after a strong start, Denmark faded dramatically and Australia held out for a clean sheet without too much difficulty. Argentina Will Have Too Much Quality For Plucky SocceroosDenmark were one of the biggest disappointments of the group phase, particularly after their strong recent showings at the European Championship and in the Nations League. Australia pulled off an upset by beating them, but a victory over Argentina would comfortably surpass that - not least because the Socceroos have never reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup before. However, this is likely to be a bridge too far for this plucky Australia side.
Led by center-backs Harry Souttar and Jamie Rowles, expect a deep defense, plenty of blocks and tackles, and no shortage of bravery. But after Messi delivered a sublime showing against Poland, Argentina will fancy their chances of pulling Australia’s defensive structure apart. Arnold’s men took the lead against France in their first game in Qatar, but they were ultimately outclassed and lost by three clear goals. A similar outcome could be on the cards on Saturday.
Scaloni tried Papu Gomez and Guido Rodriguez as replacements, but neither man was convincing. The balance of the midfield looked much better against Poland, with Enzo Fernandez stationed between Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul. Scaloni will surely stick with that trio on Saturday. Further forward, Julian Alvarez has usurped Lautaro Martinez in the pecking order. Lionel Messi had his best game of the tournament against Poland, where he was deployed as a false nine and given the license to drift across the pitch. Alvarez did a fine job of filling the space Messi vacated, ensuring the Polish center-backs always had something to think about.
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