Argentine Champions League Preview: Angel DI MARIA, Erik LAMELA, more

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The second leg of the Round of 16 starts on Tuesday as we preview the Argentine players.

Nicolas TAGLIAFICO and Lisandro MAGALLAN will travel with Ajax to play against Real Madrid. The reigning European champions take a 2-1 lead going into the second leg. TAGLIAFICO has been the subject of many transfer rumors and another strong display tonight could see him edging more and more away from the Netherlands.

Leonardo BALERDI’s Dortmund will look to overcome a 3-0 first leg deficit against Mauricio POCHETTINO’s men. Tottenham boast three Argentine players on their team with Erik LAMELA, Juan FOYTH and Paulo GAZZANIGA all part of the team but not all three are expected to start.

On Wednesday, it’ll be the Argentine trio of Diego PEROTTI, Federico FAZIO and Javier PASTORE who go to Portugal with a 2-1 advantage to play FC Porto.

The second match on Wednesday is that of PSG who go to Old Trafford to play against Manchester United. Angel DI MARIA had two assists against his former side in the first match with Leandro PAREDES also in the team.

The Argentine players left in the Champions League are:

AS Roma: Diego PEROTTI, Federico FAZIO, Javier PASTORE
Manchester United: Sergio ROMERO, Marcos ROJO
PSG: Angel DI MARIA, Leandro PAREDES
Tottenham Hotspur: Erik LAMELA, Juan FOYTH, Paulo GAZZANIGA
Borussia Dortmund: Leonardo BALERDI
Ajax: Nicolas TAGLIAFICO, Lisandro MAGALLAN
FC Barcelona: Lionel MESSI
Atletico Madrid: Angel CORREA
Juventus: Paulo DYBALA
Manchester City: Nicolas OTAMENDI, Sergio AGUERO

57 Comments

  1. Tagliafico is the best option,we have..
    Defensively solid,good learner,positioning sense super, and last one season he improved his attacking skill. Tagliafico is ok. We need him.

    • Ajax was a perfect move for him. They are so solid fundamentally/technically that he was either going to adapt and improve to they’re style of play, or fail.

      He is adapting and improving. Very solid left back.

    • Yeah Tagliafico is excellent, I don’t know if he’ll end up being world class but I see a hard working, dependable fullback in the vein of Zabaleta in him and the thing I like the most about him is the fact that he knows his limits and is always striving to break’em.
      Hopefully Licha Martinez continues to develop because he could be a hell of a fullback and I also hope that J.Silva (when he returns from injury) continues to build on the good form that he’s shown in la liga this season and learn to tighten up his defending game.

  2. Rulli is one of the worst goal keeper, we have. Too match error pronens.he is very much risky. 3,4 good match is not enough. He must improve himself and will performing well at least next 2 good season, not 2 good matches.

    • Rulli is Whoscored team of the week more times than any other GK in la Liga this season, don’t need arguments on Rulli form in 2019

  3. Scaloni wants to call up Marchesin. Simply: I don’t like it. Romero, Benitez, Andrada, Gazzaniga – are my goalkeepers.

    • Honestly, I’d rather Marchesin over Romero, because he at least plays week in week out. Although I would still prefer he does not make it at all.

      Benitez and Musso would be my preferences.

      Gazzaniga once he becomes a starter. I hope for Argentina to make a habit of picking players who are starters. This means the talented Argentine players leaving clubs that bench them – Lamela, Dybala, etc. It is a waste of their development. Look at the progress of Lo Celso on a team that gives him time and priority.

      Hopefully others follow suit.

    • Most of our u20 players are hardly getting any playing time. Balerdi, Perez, Medina, both the right backs, Julio Alvarez, Romero, Collidio, Santos Sosa are almost never off the bench or a few are only reserves.
      Gaich and Elias Pereyra are going to find it hard to play under Almiron who prefers Colombians and senior players.
      De la Vega too is back with the reserves.
      Ortega has long lost his place at velez.
      But some eligible players are getting some valuable minutes.
      Almendra is starting regularly and he even scored over the weekend.
      Cristian Ferreira who gets minutes as a sub got a chance start over the weekend in place of Quintero and made it count with a goal and assist.
      Navarro got another start and looks like the kid is going to make that place his own.
      Banfield’s Agustin Urzi got another start and scored a cracking goal.
      Both Navarro and Urzi already under the radar of top European clubs.

  4. Low just announced that he won’t select Muller, Boateng and Hummels anymore. Logic because they will be 34 in 2022. If Scaloni does the same thing with Otamendi, Di Maria and Aguero I guess he would be smashed by lot of fans and media.

    • Mate that is correct decision
      That is what I was screaming for
      Argentina to do any football fan
      Who uses his logic will 100 percent
      Understand the low decision
      I hope Argentina move away from
      Messi generation regardless
      Arg has been stuck for the old guard
      Way too long .. It hurts me too see
      Country like Germany and England
      Taking brave step forward and
      Argentina alway talking about di Maria
      Otamendi Romero Macerdo kun
      Whom all 30s it’s realy sad.
      Some fans will never understand
      They always talking about messi and co.

        • And all those guys were good…
          But we have the best in the History of football, Messi, yet he shouldn’t be taken?
          And one of the best CF’s in the world right now, Aguero, yet he shouldn’t go either?

          Di Maria, Banega yea they shouldn’t be there, and we shouldn’t have too many players over 33 with us, but those two are just too good to ignore.

          As Iniesta did this summer, both of them don’t have to play the full 90, they can be subbed off around the 60″ mark, but their experience and scoring ability is just too great to ignore.

          • “Di Maria, Banega yea they shouldn’t be there, and we shouldn’t have too many players over 33 with us, but those two are just too good to ignore”.

            Hey, we are talking about December 2022 not Copa this year. There’s 1% of chances Aguero will be better at this age than, for example, Lautaro Martinez.

        • can’t compare zidane Prilo to dimara Aguero, only messi should be in the team in 35 you can’t accept more 30+ players but should be in copa atleast not after that

        • Portugal shoul Drop Christiano, He is 33
          Uruguay should drop Suarez, Godin, Cavani and Caceres they all above 30
          Brazil should drop Neymar, Marcelo, Caseimero, Ferminio because they all gonna be more than 30 in WC2022

          and many more examples that shows only, ARGENTINA FANS are asking to drop their best players, oh yeah, great support for someones players, great support. When you support any team, you go with your best in form players, that is logic. like my friend @cox4 said few days ago, It seems that it’s not the players who are mentally broken, but the people who call for scrapping a whole generation of players, regardless.
          AND DO THAT WHILE COPA IS AROUND THE CORNER, as if these 3 months will make miracles come true in establishing great team.

      • False equivalence my friend. Apples to Orange comparison.

        1) Germany coach is vastly better than training wheels
        2) messi Aguero are getting better while Muller and boateng are declining
        3) Germany replacements are better while Argebtine replacements are NOT

      • “I hope Argentina move away from
        Messi generation regardless”

        For everything there is the right time and place, and that time is not upon us, yet to drop Messi. A coach has to be out of his mind to drop Messi and Aguero. Coaches around the world will kill to have such players, and what we do? WE don’t want to see them wearing the NT shirt at all. Why? because they came second in 3 finals, great logic. Come on, !!

        Unless you are willing to sacrifice living in the shadows for minimum 5 years for Argentina to establish a new generation.

        Then you should call for all the NTs in the world to drop all their 30+ players.

        Messi and his generation, Messi and Co. , Messi friend’s club , all that nonsense is actually doing us harm rather than good.

        • Pal you can make as much as excuses as you want the statistics suggesting that the old guard won’t
          Do any better than last few tournament after all those loses
          For those players it’s normal to
          Give chance the other Argentina players I believe they can do well
          This copa but it’s wrong to believe
          That if messi and co not there
          Arg won’t have no chance that is
          Absolutely nonsense personally
          I believe if the coaching staff
          Pick up right players and right
          Tactic Argentina will have same
          Chance as ugurauy and brazil
          Maybe Brazil are favourites cuse
          They are hosts but hosts doesn’t
          Always fulfil the expectation.

          By the way I have big respect for
          Messi but I’m realistic unless
          Some old guard followers .

          • Hey, Pal
            Can you point out excuses I made?
            and please be specific and straight to the point with facts not fiction, and without giving the run around?

            and don’t accuse others of being old guard followers as if you are the only ‘true’ Argentina supporter

          • Ebo
            Let’s be straight mate I’m not stupid
            To think that I’m only Argentina fan
            And I never think of that ethier.
            I’m here to express my opinion
            I don’t have no problem whoever
            Disagree with me.
            Come to our topic mate I don’t
            Want to discuss it anymore
            There is no point I know that
            Those players will probably go
            To copa unless they got injury
            And I’m not wishing that to happen.
            Pal:I’m smart enough to know
            Where this is going I don’t want
            To hurt people’s feelings because
            Some people really love Messi
            And co let’s wait in summer
            Celebrate together but one thing
            I’m sure of won’t discuss many of them after this copa.

          • @godin11

            Yes you are, many times you accusing people here who see otherwise that they are Messi followers, or big name followers just because they think different than you, you yourself said you started supporting Argentina because of Batistuta, So why not accept others supporting Argentina because of Messi or whoever? I myself started supporting Argentina after Ardiles and passarella in 78, so that is normal for fans to start supporting teams because of some player(s).
            Don’t think you are the only smart person here you just said: “I’m smart enough to know
            Where this is going I don’t want
            To hurt people’s feelings”
            as everyone else who does not agree with you is stupid or not as smart as you!
            I really started thinking that you have something against Messi as a person, and that has nothing to do with chances of Argentina wining or losing.WE all know Argentina is bigger than any player or a group of players, no player will last as this is the normal cycle of life. so there is no need to say such a thing because it is a known fact.

            A ‘TRUE’ supporter will support his players as long as they are in top form even if they lose 10 finals, not just discard them and throw them away!
            Win Or Lose supporters will support without any accusations

          • Ebo
            Honestly to God I have nothing
            Against messi or any other Player
            As I said many times before
            Which you don’t mention it
            I will always support Argentina regardless who is in the team
            Go on search my old comment.
            But it’s really sad that big man like
            Ebo blaming me that I have
            Something against messi cuse
            I disagree certain arguments that
            Is baseless mate but its easy to
            Accuse people when they disagree
            With others knowing that they have good point.
            I don’t have to prove to anyone
            That I’m true Argentina supporter
            I know what I went to through to be
            Argentina supporter no need explanation.

      • best U23 (97+) squad for Olimpico atm? Dont count european players (Lautaro and co.), Palacios, Almendra, Dominguez, Vargas, Senesi etc all questionable, but MLS is suspended in winter, so Barco, Lucas Rodriguez etc. can play

      • Maybe they will play in Argentina…GK nobody plays regularly atm Pourtau/Roffo—Bravo-Martinez??-Senesi??-Montiel??—Belmonte-Navarro??(i dont see him playing yet)-Robertone??—Barco-Gaich??-De la Vega??/Almada?? and even in this team most of the players are questionable, but Dominguez, Zaracho, Vargas, Palacios, Almendra 100% wont be here in 1 year imo

        • u-23 team without europeans?

          ………………………..Roffo
          …………..Senesi…………..Lisandro M
          …Montiel…………………………………Pereyra/Bravo
          …………………….Dominguez
          ….Zaracho/Robertone………………….Palacios/MacAllister

          Barreal/Almada………………………………..Vargas
          …………………………Gaich

          subs:
          Pourtau
          Callegari
          Almendra
          De La Vega
          Navarro
          Moreno
          Maroni
          Pellegrini
          Nehuen Perez
          Belmonte
          Ferreira
          Togni

          add to that Lautaro, Cristian Romero, Foyth, Ascacibar, Nico Gonzalez, Ponce, Caseres and you see that’s potentially strong U-23

          but I still don’t understand what’s actually your point

          • My point our team will be weak(er) than could be, and ARG will miss Olympics, do you think Palacios, Zaracho, Almendra etc will still play in Argentina under Preolimpico in 2020 January-February? I count only the realistic options, not the biggest names to transfer in Europe before this.

          • You might be right to some degree but on the other hand still some new options emerge in local league like Bravo, Navarro ot Ferreira recently. We should base the Preolipico team on U-20 IMO

            Preolimpico might be unpredictable. If I remember corectly we even fail the qualifiers for Olimpic Games 2000 having players like Aimar, d’Alessandro, Cambiasso. I was so much surprised then how they couldn’t do that.

      • Exactly. Low is overrated, and those who claim that he is so forwardlooking and picking youth before names, they are truly ignorant. There is nothing to admire about Low. We have better Argentinian coaches.

    • Germany has time at their side, and a strong local championship with mostly local grown players which makes replacements available easily, very strong teams (Bayern, Dortmund ..etc) not like Argentina, If EuroCup around the corner, not in more than a year, and no replacements for such players, they won’t be that stupid.
      Show me a replacement of such players in Argentina in the next 3 months?

      Anyone who thinks that Argentina will rise again to qualify and compete to win COPA19, COPA20 and/Or W2022 by dropping a whole generation without transition and balance is DREAMING.

  5. Calling it now…

    Argentine Players in Champions League Quarter Finals:
    AS Roma: Diego PEROTTI, Federico FAZIO, Javier PASTORE
    PSG: Angel DI MARIA, Leandro PAREDES
    Tottenham Hotspur: Erik LAMELA, Juan FOYTH, Paulo GAZZANIGA
    FC Barcelona: Lionel MESSI
    Atletico Madrid: Angel CORREA
    Manchester City: Nicolas OTAMENDI, Sergio AGUERO

    Twelve Argentine’s in the Quarter Finals total.

    • You can make a team out of this but only with 3 at the back, 3-4-3 😀

      Gazzaniga; Foyth, Fazio, Otamendi; A.Correa, Paredes, Pastore, Lamela; Messi, Aguero, Di Maria. This hypthetical team would concede a lot of goals but would probably score a lot too…

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