Brazil vs Argentina preview: Lionel Messi and Neymar will face off in the World Cup qualifier — but the two teams are in very different positions
New Brazil boss Tite has helped rejuvenate his team with a number of young stars but the Argies are without a win in their last three games
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LAST Sunday Lionel Messi and Neymar were partners in art, combining for a wonderful equalising goal to help Barcelona come from behind to beat Sevilla.
This Thursday they face each other as Brazil host Argentina in the 11th (of 18) round of South America’s World Cup qualification campaign.
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Buoyed by the appointment of coach Tite, Brazil have put together four consecutive victories which, in some style, have taken them to the top of the table.
Argentina also have a new boss, Edgardo Bauza.
But there the similarities end. His team have been moving in the opposite direction.
Without a win in their last three games, Argentina are now down in sixth, outside the qualification slots.
But now they have Messi back. He has missed seven of the ten rounds through injury.
In his absence, Argentina have only managed a single victory.
With Messi on the field, they are 100%. Brazil, meanwhile, have never lost a World Cup qualifier on home soil. Come the end of the night, one of these statistics will no longer apply.
Brazil, though, have lost massively in the stadium where Thursday’s game will be played.
The Argentina match marks their return to the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, scene of that extraordinary 7-1 capitulation to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi final.
This makes it a special occasion for Fernandinho, the usually reliable midfielder who was so inexplicably poor against the Germans.
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Now the injury to Real Madrid’s Casemiro means that he will fill the holding role in Tite’s 4-1-4-1 formation, where he will have to keep a grip on Messi.
Slipping Messi and Angel Di Maria on the counter-attack will clearly be key to Argentina’s gameplan, which is likely to be cautious.
They will also hope to take advantage of set pieces, where their Premier League centre back combination of Nicolas Otamendi and Ramiro Funes Mori carry a threat.
At the other end, though, the pair have been struggling- and coach Bauza is concerned at keeper Sergio Romero’s lack of match practice.
His side, then, will probably line up in a cautious 4-4-2, with Javier Mascherano having a key role protecting the defence.
Brazil will go with the raw talent of Manchester City-bound Gabriel Jesus up front, hoping that his pace will force Argentina back and open up space for their passing game.
Renato Augusto is the midfield organiser, while Tottenham flop Paulinho will look to time his late runs into the box.
Phillippe Coutinho appears to have got in front of Willian on the right wing, with Neymar floating in from the left.
Can they pass and dribble their way through a suspect defence?
Or will Argentina hang on and rely on some Messi genius?
Intriguing questions in the build up to the clash of the South American titans.
- Exclusive illustration by Lovatto