Match Preview
posted on Jun 26, 2018 | 94 likes
Nigeria Vs Argentina
The crunch tie between the Super Eagles and Argentina would take center stage at in St. Petersburg later tonight. The World Cup has always been a regular ground for the two teams to meet.
The Super Eagles full of confidence following their victory over debutants- Iceland, will be looking to do a first time over the Argies in a competitive ground. The Argentine team are on the verge of a group stage exit, having their destiny half- way in their hands, a Lionel Messi led side will be looking to break the Pride of Africa's defense and get back to winning ways as soon as possible.
A tie that has been tagged as a "do- or- die" by Nigeria's forward Ahmed Musa, promises to be full of energy from the Nigerian team who are looking to book a berth in the Round of Sixteen. The only question is whether Gernot Rohr will opt to face the immense attacking quality of Argentina with a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2 formation.
WHAT THE MANAGERS HAD TO SAY
Nigeria coach, Gernot Rohr:
“We must take even half chances, and be on the offensive as much as possible.
“Perhaps, a draw could be good to qualify, but we cannot think and play for a draw. Sometimes, when you play for a draw, you get punched in the face late in the day.
“It will be a tough game and we must go with a tough mentality from the start to the end.”
Argentina coach, Jorge Sampaoli:
“I think that match was complicated for Leo (Messi), the structure of the game didn’t favor him and he didn’t get a lot of balls from the midfield.
“If he had the ball less than usual it’s because Argentina didn’t dominate the match as we did against Iceland.
“We are going to try and improve that and we are sure that is not going to happen tomorrow.
“For the good of Argentina, I am sure Lionel Messi will be touching the ball a lot more than in our previous match.”
Page's Verdict: The Argentines need an outright victory while a draw seems enough for the Super Eagles. The match comes with a lot of pressure for the South Americans and if the Eagles can hold their own against a Lionel Messi led attack, expect them to take advantage of the weakest defense in South America
Page's Verdict: Nigeria to Win