Argentina team confirmed, Lionel MESSI, Pity MARTINEZ, Lautaro start

By
Roy Nemer
-
61

Argentina coach Lionel SCALONI has confirmed the team which will play Venezuela on Friday.

As we reported earlier today, there were rumors that SCALONI would go with a 5 man back line and he has confirmed that. With MONTIEL and TAGLIAFICO as the full backs, it will be MERCADO, FOYTH and MARTINEZ partnering them.

In midfield, it’s LO CELSO with PAREDES, with an attack spearheaded by MESSI, Lautaro and Pity MARTINEZ.

Here’s the starting eleven:

ARMANI; Gonzalo MONTIEL, MERCADO, FOYTH, Lisandro MARTINEZ, TAGLIAFICO; PAREDES, LO CELSO; MESSI, Lautaro, Pity MARTINEZ

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61 Comments

  1. ah.. just when i started respecting Scaloni as a coach he does something like this – 5 man backline? MERCADO? bloody MERCADO? Messi and co owned Mercado and co in Spain. I dont hate Mercado but he doesnt desereve a place in the lineup (or even in the bench)..

    5 man backline?!!

    • “MERCADO? bloody MERCADO?”
      Kiddo, you surely haven’t watched Mercado in Qualifiers. He is a warrior and has always performed well for the national team. I’m sure he’ll surprise all his critics today as usual.

      • i should have clarified – i am not against Mercado, just the Mercado we have now. Call it age, call ti dwindling form or anything you want – but he is one of those players who plays hard rather than smart – i mean defend efficiently and quickly transition to attack, play out from back, make dissecting passes to teammates upfront etc. Mercado is so 2000s.. but if he surprises me i will not be vain about it..i will enjoy it… my point is we have an opportunity to play a team that can actually perform come Summer (after a gruelling club, and continental Champions season) and skilled-youth are the answer…

        and i’m not a kiddo – havent been for a decade now 🙂

      • ahem… what say now COPA_2019? anyway i think us fans have been hardened to take these defeats in our stride thanks ti recent listless performances and bad decision making.. i hope there is someone who is a level headed as messi in the adminstrative part of the NT..

  2. Stupid playing 3-5-2 vs a weak team
    We saw that vs Bosnia and sabella changes
    My team when ALL fit
    Mercado – otamendi – foyth – taga

    Lanzini – parades – lo celso

    ——————Messi———-
    Dybala ———-Icardi

  3. It’s like a 343, why not, this can fix our problem about lack of natural DM. One of the 3 CBs can move in more advanced position to help Paredes. Lisandro has great passing skill and Foyth comfortable with the ball. Tagliafico and Montiel are not great fullbacks but hardworking, to use them as fullback wingers may be a good idea. However, don’t expect to bring the best of Messi if you use him in this position. He will have less freedom.

    If Otamendi is back, my top choice for a 3 men defense will be Foyth, Ota and Lisandro.

    • I feel Scaloni is trying to imitate what his predecessor Sampaoli was attempting with a 3-4-3. Well, he was Sampaoli’s assistant, so it’s only natural.

      Doesn’t mean it didn’t work, but it’s risky against teams who like to play wide, such as Croatia in the World Cup for example.

      We all know Messi will drift into the midfield, so as long as Montiel can keep the width on the Right flank, and either Martinez or Tagliafico on the left, Messi can move wherever he deems necessary.

      I still feel a back 4 is necessary. This might work against Venezuela, but against stronger opposition with skillful wingers that have a lot of pace, we’d have to see.

  4. Y don’t Scaloni stabilize a particular formation. A formation in which the team is comfortable in. Argentina is never comfortable in a 3 man defence. Why don’t we just go for 4-3-3 and occasionally 4-3-1-2. In today’s team Scaloni could have easily rested tagliafico and play Lanzini or Pereyra in the midfield along with Paredes and LoCelso. Or could have tried to play Messi and Dybala together in 4-3-1-2 formation with the same midfield of Paredes, Lo Celso, Pereyra/Lanzini and Messi infront of them with Lautaro/Benedetto and Dybala as two forwards.

    • How does resting tagliafico and taking pereyra/lanzini works, they dont even play in the same position.
      You know who is the other coach who used 4-3-1-2 with dybala and messi? That is sampaoli against the same opponent.
      I would not say it was a failure but it didnt give a positive result also.

      • I was talking about changing the formation, making a 4 man backline and introducing another midfielder who would link the play. Please read the post before making dumb comments. And why not take a chance with playing Messi and Dybala together. Maybe it won’t be a overnight success but we should take that chance.

  6. I can not watch the game today but where can I watch it later? Like in the next morning or so..? So is there any page which offers those re-runs?

    Could you guys help me out..

  9. no need to use 5 back,indeed vs weak team using 433 /352 is okay.if you have lisandro martinez ,tagliafico can be benched. mercado as a CB that’s no problem in terms of injuried otamendi and pezzella,i think mercado ‘s experience help a lot.

    number 9 lautaro martinez is not that enough ,I prefer matias suarez or benedetto rather than lautaro.

    lanzini is a must in line up. as to goalkeeper armani is not that impressive at all,I prefer andrada.

    #######andrada
    montiel#mercado#foyth#lisandro martinez
    #######paredes
    ###lo celso#####lanzini
    messi#############pity martinez
    #######matias suarez

    or
    #######andrada
    ##montiel##mercado##lisasndro martinez
    ########foyth
    #####lo celso###lanzini
    zaracho##pity martinez###de paul
    ########messi

    • ———————-Musso———————-
      Saravia ~Foyth~ Kanneman~ Tagliafico

      Locelso~~~ Paredes ~~Pereyra

      Messi——————————–Lanzini
      ———————Dybala———————

  10. Who should be our 3 Goal Keepers for Copa? I can say only after this 2 friendlies.

    But as of now my pick would be.Armani, Andrada, Benitez

    Armani (He is old and not perfect but for now he is one of the top 3 Goal Keeper in Super Liga)

    Andrada(I think as of now he is the best in Super Liga he is great with his feet (with feet in fact the best among our all Goal Keepers)

    Benitez (He deserves a chance the guy is killing it even if in a little inferior league)

    Andrada as the starter for Copa.

    Andrada and Benitez should lead us for some years with a young Goal keeper pushing them. We must rotate the Goal keepers in the friendlies don’t make a Romero like situation again ever.

    Guys who should replace Armani after Copa – Unsain/Musso/Gazzaniga(unless he don’t change club he should not be considered) or Rulli(Only reason he is still have a chance is because he is young that’s it, he may improve)

    Guys who I won’t consider at all Romero, Marchesin(I don’t know I somehow don’t see him as our solution)

      • Romero is not a motivator he is an arrogant guy who because of our past coaches idiocity to stick with him made himself think as the best we have in his position. Which he is not and never was. It’s better to keep him out. He will disturb the harmony of the team. Have u seen his last arrogant statement.

  12. WTF armani is doing here i dont understand why he is being selected again after his horror show in WC club world cup. We have better goalkeeper romero, benitez, rulli.

    • Romero doesn’t play for his club and Rulli is sadly a disaster waiting to happen so I don’t think either of them are any better than Armani, whom I can’t blame for the failures of the WC since it was baldie’s crappy tactics that did the team in.
      I do agree with you on Benitez, who has been superb at league 1.

      • Romero didnt play for his club in WC 2014 , a bench warmer at monaco still one of the best player for the Argentina and what river plate starter armani had done in WC .
        Whenever he gets chance for Man Utd he performs well.

        • No he didnt actually he was very bad against bosnia and nigeria but just had a good perfomance against netherland. May be Argentina was lucky that they didnt got a WC winner in pre-quarter like as they got in 2018 WC.
          Romero is only better than Armani in penalty savings(far better that I agree)

    • I think will be good to have Romero as the 3nd GK who doesn’t need to play but can bring his experience and will always have a role in the dressing room. Benitez and Musso my 1st choices

  14. No dybala again , man I really feel sorry for this kid , I don’t know why every coach hesitate to try the duo of Messi and dybala, I mean there’s always a way to combine them , everyone I watch Argentina games , I dream of the Messi – dybala combo , but neither of them play together. If it’s really this way , I think he should better play for Italy , really , fed up the Argentine coaches, it’s was bauza who tried them both , and have the guts to do that . The lineup is well , but missing dybala’ s genius . Rarely and Argentine coaches see how much pressure dybala can take off from Messi , be it free kick , penalties , playmaking or pulling defenders , but alas the fate of the kid is really bad .
    Anyway vamos argentina

    • I fell so bad because that means whenever messi’s here dybala wont play.

      When dybala and messi played against uruguay (before dybala got a stupid red card) they were playing amazing together

      • Scaloni is not even trying to play them together. He could have used 4-3-1-2 formation and play Messi in the middle just behind the forwards Lautaro and Dybala

  15. I too think that either Foyth or Lisandro will play as sweeper. Scaloni selected Mercado for experience though I like to have Lanzini or Perrreyra in the midfield for 4 4 2 . Anyway I like this formation and team selection. Waiting for a good match.

  16. this formation makes sense if it was Venezuela using it against the almighty selection of Argentina but it is a waste of offensive supremacy that Argentina has over its opponent. we definitely need an extra offensive midfielder (Lanzini preferably) to combine with Messi, pity and Lautaro who will be going against a defensive minded Venezuela team that will play with 4 in the back and two defensive midfielders. yes we can use backs as midfielders if we had the talent pool of Bolivia but this is Argentina……I kind of feel like we still have sampaoli at the helm. regardless we should win off set pieces vs Venezuela and by no means should Venezuela come close to scoring with 7 of 10 field players in defense.

  18. argentina vs venezuela using 5 back must be a problem .that is simple just look at the comparison of the following line up.

    ###########armani
    k walker##pique#foyth#L martinez#marcelo
    #####sergio busquets
    ####lo celso######neymar
    ###messi
    #########lewandowski
    that is the proper 532 vs weak team,but scaloni’s 5 back formation is
    #########armani
    montiel##mercado#foyth#l martinez#tagliafico
    ######paredes
    ##lo celso#####pitymartinez
    messi
    #####lautaro

    what is difference between the two line up?

    532 we need two powerful LB,RB must be fast and skilful enough. DM should be very important and different attacking point such as neymar,messi and lo celso. the last but not least is a proper powerful number 9

  20. Lanzini should play ahead of farmers like pity, Dybala Messi should have been tried together also happy for Messi+lautaro, for 2022 lautaro will be the key

  21. No matter what any one says, but look at that defence, Lisandro Martinez, Foyth, Montiel, all around 21 or 22,Havent seen such a young defence playing for us in ages. Hats of to Scaloni. This is what friendlies r all about. This is what we needed badly. It’s sad that we didn’t had any courageous coach like him for some years. Even if we loose its a risk worth taking. Love it.

    My only issue is the 3 man backline I somehow don’t see it suits us. And the midfield looks thin Montiel would be the key player here. Need to do lot of over lapping running, bcoz Tagliafico is not that gud going forward, so it basically becomes a 4 men backline. I would have taken Mercado out and played Pereyra. To avoid the age old cenario of Messi dropping deep.Hope that won’t happens.

    Anyway an exciting lineup.

    • Mate I think one of the lisandro Martinez or Juan foyth will play as sweeper
      It’s good system if the players
      Understand well. even though
      I like back 4 especially pairing
      Together Juan foyth and lisandro Martinez. But it’s positive lin up.

        • Ebo bro
          We have talant center backs
          And very good full backs
          Good midfielder of players
          Finally things coming together
          For our albicelestes I can see
          We will lift the copa in yellow
          Banana home soil.

          • Bro I’m desperate to see Argentina
            Lift a trophy this copa it’s only
            Brazil who is strong then us
            Plus with home advantage
            But that comes with pressure
            I hope yellow banana get knocked out before we meet them
            Then I’m pretty sure we will win.
            The copa.

          • I really like the lineup, for now, it’s great beginning seeing new generation taking over. WE are missing few other players like palacios and Lanzini still not in great from, But things are looking brighter. Would love to see Gazza and Benitez too.
            I think Benedetto will play Morroco match. and Dybala will take over for Messi at that match.
            I would still like to see Paredes, LoCelso, Lanzini midfield.

          • That is right pal i think
            same way when palacios
            Back to full fitness will play
            A long side with paredes
            And it’s big fight between
            Lo celso and lanzini in three
            Men midfielder I don’t see either
            Lo celso or lanzini playing as winger.

          • I hope we do play great and atleast reach the final, realistically speaking 2020 copa is a gud bet. 2019 well we never know. Miracles can happen hope it does.. Love to see we winning a trophy for the first time in my life time.

        • Mascherano was our sweeper isn’t it.He was gud but he becoming a sweeper to protect our defence made our midfield weak so weak.

      • I too think that either Foyth or Lisandro will play as sweeper. Scaloni selected Mercado for experience though I like to have Lanzini or Perrreyra in the midfield for 4 4 2 . Anyway I like this formation and team selection. Waiting for a good match.

  22. you all just take a notes that this team and coach cannot win the cup with messi. this is the last tournament for messi. only pep can win if he coach argentina.

  23. Is it the strongest Argentina line-up imaginable? No, but after years of the same names it is great to see the likes of Montiel, Foyth, Lisandro Martínez, Paredes, Lo Celso & Lautaro Martínez – players who could form a central role for many years

    From golazoargentina
    Is not only some of us wanted new
    Blood so badly but some biggest
    Arg fans like golazoargentina
    Wanted too.

    Happy to see young defenders
    Playing together likes montiel
    Foyth lisandro Martinez hope
    They become the back bone
    Of the Nt years to come.

  24. you all will say that i am negative etc and all those things but my opinion after watching this line up

    i feel like we are playing against Brasil and we will try to defend our victory of first leg with 1-0 or 2-0.
    like we prepare the second leg i feel. to defend and try score with counter attacks.

    interesting.
    very interesting. i am very curious to see.

  25. I think it’s a very good lineup. It looks to me like a 3-4-1-2, with Messi dropping to support the midfield in playmaking. This looks more of a 3 man defense because Montiel is playing instead of Saravia, who is much more attacking minded than the latter. Also, even Tagliafico is playing more of an attacking role in Ajax. Although back 3 hasn’t worked for the national team in past few years,(even I’m not a big fan of it) but this time we have different young players. Every player fits in their position.They’ll just have to be compact when not on the ball, defend as a unit and not press too high. The only thing which worries me is Armani starting again.

    • Exactly we have a new team with young legs and argentina spirit. We will be fine and win easily like we have been lately

  26. There’s no problem with this squad as I really liked Armani he tried in few matches of world cup he played. instead of using substitutes like Romero or Caballero he must go in the goal. But Aguero should be there please.

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