Brazil will face Argentina at the Maracana in an important World Cup qualifier that could prove pivotal to both teams. Fernando Diniz’s Brazilians have suffered two defeats during qualifying matches for this summer’s tournament while Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste possess an outstanding track record against their South American foes. In this article, we will discuss about brazil national football team vs argentina national football team lineups.
Brazil National Football Team
The Selecao are in danger of falling behind the four automatic qualification spots and will hope that a win against Argentina will ensure they secure one. Furthermore, they’ll want revenge for their Copa America 2024 semifinal defeat at La Albiceleste who are reigning champions.
Brazil will likely deploy a similar formation to that which defeated Colombia 5-0 in their most recent international friendly, though Neymar will likely miss out due to injury. As a result, Vinicius Junior may get more playing time up front alongside Rodrygo and Alvarez.
Argentina will likely make several changes from their squad that beat Ecuador 1-0 in an international friendly two weeks prior. Lionel Scaloni remains unbeaten as his side prepare for their hosting of this tournament.
Argentina are reigning Copa America and World Cup champions, and have an excellent chance of defending them when they face Canada on Friday. Their preparation has been unblemished thus far and their victory against Guatemala demonstrates their ability to triumph even over lesser opposition.
La Albiceleste have reached six World Cup finals – fourth most out of any country. Their initial appearance came in 1930 when they lost 4-2 to Uruguay; they returned again under Diego Maradona’s guidance in 1986, before winning on penalties against France in 2022 and becoming world champions!
Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago during their last friendly before the tournament, with Lionel Messi coming off the bench to start that match, but is expected to start this one from the outset. He has been outstanding this year both for club and national team; truly one of the greatest players ever seen on any field of play!
As for the remainder of the squad, there have been some notable absentees from this roster – Casemiro and Richarlison were left off, while Thiago Silva has retired from international football altogether. For that reason, any starting lineup should consist of players who have had maximum playing time recently for their club teams.
Argentina National Football Team
Argentina are reigning Copa America and World Cup champions and therefore enter this match as big favorites. La Albiceleste won their most recent international friendly against Ecuador with Lionel Scaloni making many changes to his starting XI.
Argentina opened their scoring early in the second half with Julian Alvarez’s penalty kick goal from Alexis Mac Allister; Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez converted with ease, giving Argentina an unassailable lead they never relinquished.
Rodrigo De Paul’s attempt was blocked by the goal frame and Lautaro Martinez hit the crossbar before Messi tracked an over-shoulder pass from Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and got in position for a shot on goal; unfortunately though a save from Crepeau deny him and second attempts do not find the net.
Argentina have now recovered from their slow start and are unbeaten through four matches with two wins and two draws – which should bode well as they prepare to defend their Copa America title later this year. A victory against Canada would certainly give La Albiceleste the boost needed to resume winning ways as their Copa America title defense kicks into gear.
Jesse Marsch is in his inaugural season as head coach of Canada men’s national team and has an opportunity to secure their second win this summer against reigning champions France. While they lost to Netherlands and tied with France during two friendlies earlier in June, they rebounded with an emphatic 2-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago during CONCACAF Nations League action this Tuesday with Cyle Larin and Jacob Shaffelburg scoring within minutes of each other to give Canada their victory.
Fox Sports will broadcast this match live in the US beginning at 9 p.m. ET with pregame shows commencing at 8 pm ET; viewers can also stream this event live through FOX GO.
Head-to-Head Record
On Wednesday at the Maracana Stadium in Buenos Aires, two of South American football’s greatest sides will meet for an exciting battle that could prove pivotal in shaping their respective campaigns. Brazil interim manager Fernando Diniz faces an uphill task in trying to prevent their slide in CONMEBOL rankings and this highly-anticipated clash could have an enormous impactful.
Rivalry between these two teams is widely considered one of the fiercest on the continent. Diego Maradona and Pele have always been discussed when discussing greatness; more recently Neymar and Lionel Messi often compete for supremacy on international stages.
Brazil and Argentina have met each other 113 times across all competitions of senior men’s international football, with 46 wins for Brazil compared to 41 wins by Argentina; 26 matches have ended in draws. Both sides would greatly benefit from winning this highly contested contest; even one victory would provide significant momentum boosts.
Both teams are looking to rebound after struggling early in World Cup qualifying, with Brazil trailing by two points and Argentina one. Although Buenos Aires were generally superior during their opening two fixtures, consecutive defeats to Colombia and Peru has put them in jeopardy of qualifying for Russia 2018.
With a win in Rio de Janeiro, the reigning champions can move up to fourth in the table and reduce pressure. Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan and Angel Di Maria of Benfica could return for Argentina who face an uphill fight to remain amongst the top six.
Brazil will likely be without star man Neymar as he recovers from a knee injury, midfielder Casemiro (after being overlooked for selection), and goalkeeper Ederson who sustained a fractured eye socket against Tottenham last month in Manchester City’s win. Dorival Junior may opt to use his 4-3-3 formation that was employed against England and Spain back in March friendlies; Endrick Raphinha and Rodrygo would likely form part of its front three.
Predictions
The Superclasico de las Americas is an annual international football tournament that always creates plenty of drama, and this match will certainly do just that. These South American heavyweights often engage in some rough play both on and off the pitch; many games result in chaotic scenes with multiple bookings being issued; this match offers Argentina an opportunity to bounce back after their disappointment at last month’s loss while Brazil continue their 100% start to World Cup qualifying campaign.
Lionel Scaloni’s side are reigning Copa America champions and have claimed six wins overall, making them a formidable national side in history. Nicknamed La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue), their success can be traced directly back to Lionel Messi who stands on the verge of adding his record-setting 108 goal tally – likely playing a pivotal role against Brazil on Thursday.
La Albiceleste have the chance to go deep in this tournament under Lionel Messi’s leadership, while Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan may see some action up front; he scored 12 goals with nine assists during his inaugural Major League Soccer season and could prove an asset for Argentina at center forward.
Canada has assembled a squad with both veteran and younger players in hopes of rebounding from an underwhelming performance against the Netherlands in their inaugural game. Jesse Marsch has had mixed results since taking over as head coach of Canada but they have demonstrated improvement during recent matches.
Marsch will likely use his same starting lineup for this match. However, due to Folarin Balogun being sidelined due to a groin injury, Yunus Musah may come in to play right back instead. The match starts at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City at 6 pm ET; you can stream it live via Fox Sports Go.
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