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Brazil national football team
International Friendlies
Oct 16, 2018 at 7pm UK
 
Argentina national football team

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How Argentina could line up against Brazil

Sports Mole looks at how Argentina could line up against Brazil for their derby in Saudi Arabia, without the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Sports City will play host to one of the biggest matches in international football on Tuesday evening when Argentina take on Brazil in a friendly.

There is usually very little friendly about meetings between these two sides, though, and the unfamiliar surroundings are unlikely to dampen the desire to get one over on the old rivals.

Argentina have undergone a period of change since their World Cup exit, but new boss Lionel Scaloni is so far unbeaten and his side are yet to concede a goal.

It is not the star-studded roster of players we have come to expect from Argentina down the years, though, and here Sports Mole looks at how they could line up in Jeddah.



Possible ARG XI vs. BRA

With the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria currently not involved at international level, the goalscoring burden will fall mainly onto the shoulders of Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala - both of whom are yet to open their Argentina accounts.

Lautaro Martinez did score his first international goal in the win over Iraq, but he could be forced to play second fiddle to Giovanni Simeone for this match.

Watford's Roberto Pereyra was also on the scoresheet against Iraq and will be hopeful to have earned a start as a result, and there could be further changes in midfield with Giovani Lo Celso also pushing for a start.

Scaloni does not have a great deal of experience to call upon - the 28-man squad averages just over 10 caps per person, and if you remove Sergio Romero and Nicolas Otamendi from the equation then that figure plummets to 5.5 caps per player - so the manager is likely to utilise what little international knowhow he has at his disposal.

Argentina have played a different goalkeeper in each of their last three matches but should stick with Romero this time, particular considering that Franco Armani was forced to pull out of the squad through injury.

Otamendi is also expected to come back into the team, although German Pezzella did score last time out and may feel that he deserves another start.

> Click here to see how Brazil could line up for this fixture.

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Barney Corkhill
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Sergio Aguero scores the opener during the World Cup group game between Argentina and Iceland on June 16, 2018
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