Play in Group C of the 2022 World Cup begins on Tuesday, November 22, at 5:00 am ET, with one of the tournament favorites, Argentina (+550), taking on one of the tournament’s lowest-ranked teams, Saudi Arabia, which is ranked 51st in the FIFA World Rankings.
It’s time to continue our soccer odds series with a pick and prediction for Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia.
Argentina’s recent form and consistency have been difficult for any team in the competition to match. They unquestionably enter this competition as hot favorites.
In all competitions, it has been more than two years since they have suffered a loss, and Lionel Scaloni has led his team to 25 victories in the past 35 games.
They have the much-needed confidence to enter a big tournament like this after winning the Copa America title and the inaugural Finalissima titles.
It is important to note that at 44 years old, Lionel Scaloni is the youngest manager at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
As he prepares for his sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, Lionel Messi, a former Barcelona and current PSG star, will be the center of attention in Qatar.
After the national team won a trophy in 2019, he will be eager to make up for two disastrous World Cup campaigns.
Saudi Arabia has now competed in six World Cups after making their debut in 1994 in the USA.
In their first season, they unexpectedly advanced to the round of 16, but in each of their subsequent four group stage appearances, they unsurprisingly fell short at the opening hurdle.
Notably, their 2-1 victory over Egypt in the final group game of the previous tournament was their first victory since defeating Belgium in June 1994, ending a lengthy winless streak of 12 games.
This time, they had a strong qualifying campaign and beat out Australia and Japan to take first place in their group.
But because of their inconsistent play, this team frequently fails to have an effect on the world stage.
Even worse, Saudi Arabia is grouped with nations like Mexico and Poland. To win any of these three games, the players will need to put forth an extraordinary effort.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Head to head :
- Scaloni’s men are on a 35 match unbeaten run and their last defeat across all competitions dates back to June 2019.
- Saudi Arabia are yet to taste victory in opening games at the FIFA World Cup and lost 11 of the overall 16 played at the competition.
- Argentina boast 100% win record from four games against Asian teams at the competition.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Prediction :
Argentina’s most recent defeat came against Brazil in the Copa America semifinals in 2019.
And before the group stage is up, they should ideally break Italy’s all-time unbeaten record.
However, Saudi Arabia’s recent matches have been dull, with neither team scoring more than twice in a game.
However, the mighty Argentina is no match for the Green Falcons. And although Herve Renard will want to see his troops fight, the difference in quality will ultimately be evident.
The prudentsp projects that Saudi Arabia will lose 2-0 in order for Lionel Scaloni and his team to equal the record of 37 consecutive victories.
Match Info :
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
World Cup 2022 – Group C
Date: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Kick-off at 11:00 UK/ 12:00 CET
Venue: Lusail Iconic Stadium (Lusail).
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Team News :
When it was revealed that the Paris Saint-Germain attacker was working out alone on Saturday, worries about his well-being arose right away.
However, he is not believed to be injured and returned to the team the next day.
While Joaquin Correa had to withdraw due to injury and was replaced by Thiago Almada, Lisandro Martinez and Exequiel Palacios were also limited to indoor work a few days ago but should be fine for Tuesday.
While Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi may line up at the back if Lautaro Martinez is spared, Messi will anticipate forming an intimidating attacking trident with Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez.
Riyadh Sharahili, a midfielder for Saudi Arabia with five caps, reportedly suffered a muscular injury that casts doubt on his World Cup prospects, while Hassan Tambakti, a defender, has returned to full training after recovering from discomfort.
However, neither player would have been expected to start against Argentina, and seasoned attacker Fahad Al-Muwallad, who has 17 goals in international competition, was left off the team after failing a drug test.
Salim Al-Dawsari, Saudi Arabia’s star player, is expected to play on the left flank, while Saleh Al-Shehri, who scored four goals in the third round of AFC qualifying, starts on the other side.
Saudi Arabia possible starting lineup:
Al-Owais; Al-Burayk, Al-Amri, Al-Bulahyi, Al-Shahrani; Kanno, Al-Malki; Al-Shehri, Al-Faraj, Al-Daswari; Al-Buraikan
Argentina possible starting lineup:
E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna; De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister; Messi, L. Martinez, Di Maria
