Argentina will take on in-form Nigeria in the do-or-die last group game which can well turn out to be their last game in Russia this year.
The South Americans’ World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after they managed just one point in first two games. With neither form on their side nor their destiny fully in their hands, Argentina will be firmly hoping that history favours them on Tuesday. This will be Argentina’s fifth encounter against Nigeria and the South Americans have won all four up to now.
Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites, looked dismal in their first two games. They started the tournament with an 1-1 draw against Iceland before being blown away by Croatia, losing 3-0.
Nigeria on the other hand will arrive in the game full of confidence as they would be looking to seal their spot in the last 16 for a fourth time. The Africans beat Iceland 2-0 in their last game and will back themselves to do well against the two-time winners.
Sportzwiki brings you all you need to know ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Venue and time:
Nigeria and Argentina will lock horns at the Saint Petersburg Stadium. The action will begin at 11:30 PM IST on Tuesday.
Players to look out for:
Nigeria – Ahmed Musa:
Musa was the star of the show against Iceland, scoring a brace to put his team in contention for a place in the knockouts. He will be eyeing another impressive show in the crunch clash against Argentina.
Argentina – Lionel Messi:
It is now or never for Lionel Messi. This is perhaps Messi’s best chance to win the coveted trophy and he needs to step up and rise to the occasion to pull his country out of the mess. The five-time Ballon D’Or was culpable in the opener against Iceland in missing a penalty. In the second game too, he failed to mark an impression as his side was blown away by Croatia. In case, Argentina lose this game, this could be his final outing on the grandest stage.
Where to watch:
The Indian fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. The English coverage will get telecast on SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels.
The Hindi feed will be aired on SONY TEN 3 SD and HD channels. Bengali and Malayali feed will be available on SONY ESPN SD channel.
Possible line-ups:
Nigeria:
Francis Uzoho; Kenneth Omeruo, William Ekong, Leon Balogun; Tyronne Ebuehi, Wilfred Ndidi, John Obi Mikel, Oghenekaro Etebo, Victor Moses; Kelechi Iheanacho, Ahmed Musa
Argentina:
Franco Armani; Eduardo Salvio, Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano, Enzo Perez, Angel Di Maria; Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain.
Follow live score on Sportzwiki.