Lionel Messi to start against Brazil, Leandro Paredes trains with Argentina team

By
Roy Nemer
-
33

Lionel Messi is set to start against Brazil as Leandro Paredes trained with the rest of the Argentina team.

Messi will reportedly start for Argentina against Brazil on Tuesday in their World Cup qualifying match. According to a report by TyC Sports, Messi would be in the starting eleven after having played 15 minutes in the 1-0 win against Uruguay on Friday.

Leandro Paredes trained normally with the rest of the Argentina national team on Sunday and could also start. It was Guido Rodriguez who started in place of Paredes who was not fully fit but Paredes, who has not played since October, could be in the starting eleven.

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33 Comments

  1. Will be an interesting match against Brazil, both are pressing quite high. With a Paredes in 50%, Scaloni need his team to press even more aggressively. I have always said that 343 is the next step for the team to achieve:

    – Otamendi not young anymore, need a 3nd man in the axial defense
    – Lisandro Martinez delivers top performance with Ajax in champions league, he should be in the starting 11, his passing can allow to break the lines
    – Acuna and Molina are not done for a defense of 4, much better in more advanced position, having them in the midfield allow to add more intensity

    • that proves again that kind of old school defensive football will not work anymore. When I look at their team, so many good players in terms of prestige but the coaching is so shit and no tactics no team. I am not Portuguese but feel bad for them, such a disgrace. Santos, nuno, Santos, conceicao, only defensive coaches.

    • Hate against Messi is unreal in Media. I saw report lately that Messi was most hated by Media while Media loves CR. But for some reason, people think vice versa. Imagine if we lose to Bolivia in must win game, they would call for Messi’s head.

      • And Portugal couldnt beat Ireland in previous game and finished with 10 men, but somehow, they never gets harshly criticized unlike Argentina.

        Remember even under Diego & Sampa, we still qualified AUTOMATICALLY. Just imagine if Messi needs a playoff lol. CR seems to immune to criticism from European media.

        Germany out in first round in 2018 , but media never talk much about it but Messi failure has always been brought up at every opportunity. Can you imagine if Messi Argentina lose to S.Korea & Mexico? These journalists would claim Lukaku or anyone else from Europe or Brazil as the GOAT lol

          • I think Portugal will get a favorable draw. I can almost guarantee they will get the weakest opponent of all the playoff teams. FIFA wants Ronaldo there. There is too much money at stake to have him miss out. Its his last WC and FIFA want to squeeze as much cash out of him as possible. They will be there. They wont do much with that coach of theirs and they aren’t firing him before the WC. they’ll go to Qatar playing that terrible style

          • I say fuc k off to portugal if they dont qualify. If Ronaldo is considered international GOAT for scoring against the likes of qatar, luxembourg etc he should be able to bail them out also. It cant always be in ronaldo favor.

    • When we draw to a team like Colombia suddenly there is a flood of comments saying we “wouldn’t beat Finland” or “Hungary”, funny because in recent memory I remember the ever praised Germans losing to North Macedonia

      • Remember when Netherlands didnt make it to WC? Or Italy? Since 98, Argentina always qualified and automatically, but somehow we always gets criticized even after winning lol

        If other big teams crashout early or didnt qualify, these journalists would have selective amnesia right away.

        Failure only matter for them when it involves Messi & Argentina.

  3. Brazil is now a way better team compared to Copa final and the referees in Conmebol are in best form in terms of standing by the Brazilian team. The way the referee ignored the assault from Neymar was so impressive. For a moment I thought he was in amnesia like in the movie Memento. Brazil has a much better attacking side. If we cannot win the mid-field battle it would be a cakewalk for them. Our forward line with a recovering and ageing Messi, a goalless Lautaro and a very good Di Maria is older and less efficient than the forward line of Brazil. Uruguay was a wake-up call for Lo Celso, Guido, Lautaro and, to some extent, De Paul. It would be interesting to see if Scaloni plans some surprise change in the starting line up. May be Alvarez along with Messi and Di Maria. May be Lisandro Martinez in mid-field instead of Paredes.

    • Just because Brazil miraculously did not get referee help in the final doesn’t mean it isn’t fully capable of happening again. Crazy that Neymar didn’t get suspended, I guess they can’t let that happen to one of Conmebol and Brazil’s poster boys. But the second that Messi rightfully asks questions about what’s going on they suspend him. Ridiculous

    • I read somewhere Cuti Romero leads the defensive key stats (such as tackling, one one one duel, header won, interceptions) in 11 key categories in this South American World Cup qualifier. He is either number 1 or 2 in those 11. That is insane.

      Not to mention Emi Martinez is super saiyan when playing for Argentina. Otamendi turns back the clock playing like the real Otamendi.

    • Thats why Sabella almost won the WC, we conceided just a single goal at WC knockout stage and 3 of those games went into extra time. However, you also needs to be clinical, and doesnt always rely on a forward to score. The problem with Sabella’s team is that , outside the frontlines, nobody has the ability to find the net. Di Maria injury only made it even worst.

      In last 4 major tournament finals, Argentina only conceided once ( againts Germany ), but we couldnt find the net until recently when Di Maria finally fit and scored. The game Uruguay was another example where we’re clinical and scored within few chances we had.

      Emi is always in saiyan mode for Argentina, and always in ultimate saiyan mode against Suarez.

      • With great attacking talents we have, having great defense is good for the tournament. We will score one goal against any one.

  5. Irrespective of the legue they play every country will give a redhot form youngster a 30 minutr at least, so i want scaloni to give alverz a 30 minute he is nit just in form he is in red hot form if scaloni doest give him minutes its effect his transfer values an intrests also

  7. Will Scaloni select Montiel again? Paredes is not match fit, would that be a problem? Guido was poor vs Uruguay so he is not exactly providing an easy solution.

    • Casemiro os obviously a loss for them but Fabinho is a very decent dm anyway. I guess we’ll wait and see how well they adapt without him and if Fabinho fills the hole or not

  9. This Brazil team is better than Copa fina with Raphinia, Vini and Anthony. It will be a tough task for Argentine defense to hold . The best way to defend is to defend in midfield.

    • I agree with you Mrinal, this Brazil will be harder to beat but we might still be able to do it.

      We have to play well as a team, as a cohesive unit, finishing our chances when we get them and be really focused in defending in transitions and also in and near our penalty box.

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