Having cruised through the group stage of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup with three wins to their name, host nation Argentina Under-20s tackle Nigeria Under-20s in Wednesday's last-16 clash at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario.
Javier Mascherano's men stormed to a first-placed finish in Group A, while their African counterparts qualified for the knockout rounds as one of the best-performing third-placed teams.
Match preview
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Giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about during the embryonic stages of the Under-20 World Cup, Argentina needed just 180 minutes to confirm a knockout berth, scoring five goals while conceding just once in their pair of wins over Uzbekistan and Guatemala in Group A.
However, if his playing days are anything to go by, Mascherano would not let his side take their foot off the gas pedal for their dead rubber with New Zealand, especially with the Junior All Whites still fighting to join Argentina in the last 16.
A plethora of changes were to be expected, and several Cebollitas players staked their claims for starts in the knockout stages as Argentina thumped New Zealand 5-0 in their final group game on Friday, with all of Ignacio Maestro Puch, Luka Romero, Brian Aguirre, Gino Infantino and Alejo Veliz making the net ripple.
Mascherano's men were one of just two sides to finish the group stage with a 100% winning record - the other being the USA - while their tally of 10 goals can only be bettered by Ecuador, who scored nine in one game against Fiji to amass 11 in total.
Six-time winners of the Under-20 World Cup between 1995 and 2007, Argentina's starlets are itching to restore the host nation to their former glories at youth level, as Los Cebollitas have only gone as far as the quarter-finals since last lifting the trophy aloft 16 years ago.
Similarly, Nigeria kicked off their bid for a maiden Under-20 World Cup crown in perfect fashion with back-to-back wins over the Dominican Republic and Italy, propelling them to the top of the Group D standings over the Azzurrini and Brazil, but attempting to overcome the latter on the final matchday was a bridge too far.
Ladan Bosso's men succumbed to goals from Jean Pedroso and Arsenal attacker Marquinhos just before the break, and with Italy running out 3-0 winners over the Dominican Republic, Nigeria were bumped down two places into third spot, finishing level with Brazil and Italy on six points but with an inferior goal difference.
However, there was a saving grace for Bosso's team, as the Flying Eagles still advanced to the knockout rounds as the best-performing third-placed team, and their six-point tally would have been enough for a top-two finish in some of the other sections.
Taking the bronze medal home from the 2023 Under-20 African Cup of Nations, Nigeria finished as runners-up at the 1989 and 2005 Under-20 World Cups, but they have been sent packing in the last 16 during their last three appearances in 2013, 2015 and 2019.
In fact, Nigeria's only previous meeting with Argentina at Under-20 level came in the 2005 final, where the South American nation won 2-1 thanks to a pair of Lionel Messi penalties, and Wednesday's victors can look forward to a quarter-final battle with either Ecuador or South Korea.
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Team News
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Argentina navigated their 5-0 win over New Zealand without suspended centre-back Tomas Aviles, who was sent off for two bookable offences in their matchday two success over Guatemala, but the 19-year-old is now back at Mascherano's disposal.
Aviles's return could spell danger for Lautaro Di Lollo's spot in the heart of the backline, and Mascherano should make several alterations for Wednesday's game after resting some of his more revered stars against the Junior All Whites.
Manchester City midfielder Maximo Perrone is among those in line for a recall to the starting XI, while Maestro Puch's strike on Friday is unlikely to earn him another start in the number nine role over Veliz.
Meanwhile, Nigeria were handed a slight concern with midfielder Victor Eletu after he came off injured in their second group clash with Italy, but the AC Milan youngster was able to complete 58 minutes of the loss to Brazil and should be fine for the last 16.
Bosso is therefore set to have all of his troops available for Wednesday's crunch clash, where Eletu is set to partner 16-year-old Daniel Daga in the Flying Eagles' double pivot.
Benjamin Fredrick is also primed to return to the heart of the backline, with Bosso playing it safe last time out after the defender was booked in their win over Italy.
Argentina Under-20s possible starting lineup:
Gomes Gerth; Giay, Aviles, Gomez, Barco; Infantino, Perrone; Gauto, Carboni, Soule; Veliz
Nigeria Under-20s possible starting lineup:
Aniagboso; Bameyi, Fredrick, Ogwuche, Agbalaka; Eletu, Daga; Emmanuel, S. Lawal, Jude; S. F. Lawal
We say: Argentina Under-20s 3-0 Nigeria Under-20s
A few days on from falling short against one South American opponent in Brazil, lightning should strike twice for Nigeria on Wednesday, as Argentina continue their quest for world domination.
Mascherano may not be able to call upon a teenage Messi - as was the case for Argentina 18 years ago - but the home nation's current proteges can emulate their icon's goalscoring feats to help their side to a straightforward last-16 success.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Argentina Under-20s win with a probability of 52.2%. A draw had a probability of 25% and a win for Nigeria Under-20s had a probability of 22.78%.
The most likely scoreline for an Argentina Under-20s win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.29%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.84%) and 2-1 (9.5%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.87%), while for a Nigeria Under-20s win it was 0-1 (7.42%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with a 3.6% likelihood.
Ben Knapton
