Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – Argentina’s recent form and consistency have been difficult for any team in the competition to replicate. 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 club to 25 victories in the past 35 games. They have the much-needed confidence to enter a big event like this after winning the Copa America title and the inaugural Finalissima titles.
It is important to mention that at 44 years old, Lionel Scaloni is the youngest manager in the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and Argentina are expected to make a solid start to the World Cup campaign when they lock horns with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
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. He will be ready to make up for back-to-back dismal World Cup performances after the national team won a trophy in 2019.
Saudi Arabia has now competed in six World Cups since 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 outings, 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 drought 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 classified with nations like Mexico and Poland. To win any of these three games, the players will need to put in an extraordinary effort.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – Betting Analysis
With the team entering the tournament in the finest possible shape, we expect nothing less than a smashing victory for Argentina.
Giving Argentina the most of the ball possession could hurt Saudi Arabia, which is known for playing some tight defensive football in the Asian zone.
This season, Lautaro Martinez has a hot and cold Serie A and Champions League campaign with Inter Milan. However, given the abundance of opportunities against a respectable Asian club in the Lusail Iconic Stadium, we are betting on him to score at any time.
Scaloni’s men are on a 35 match unbeaten run and their last defeat across all competitions dates back to June 2019, and Argentina boast 100% win record from four games against Asian teams at the competition.
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 vs Saudi Arabia – Head to Head
Our Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
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