- The critical Nigeria vs. Argentina match of the 2018 World Cup will be held soon
- Argentina’s looking to avoid a shocking and disappointing early tournament exit
- Nigeria leads on points currently but likely faces a tough challenge from Messi
Its crunch time for Group D in the 2018 World Cup.
Nigeria and Argentina will face off in a critical match, with a trip to the Knockout Stage on the line for both teams. Argentina, with just one point so far, is hanging on by a thread and looking to avoid a shocking early exit from the tournament.
Nigeria, on the other hand, has an advantage over Argentina in terms of points but has lacked consistently so far in the Group Stage.
Players to watch
For Argentina, all eyes are once again on Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star’s team is on the ropes and looking to stay alive, having already battled Iceland to a surprising draw and faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Croatia.
The legendary forward will be under enormous pressure to save his country’s World Cup dream and avoid a stunning early exit from the tournament, though his talent and experience will undoubtedly prove to be critical in keeping his squad’s dreams alive.
On the Nigerian squad, Leicester City star Ahmed Musa has been pegged as one of the top players to watch in the upcoming match. Musa is considered a serious scoring threat and will likely pose a major challenge for Argentina’s defense.
Other top stars for Nigeria include Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and John Mikel Obi, who’s reportedly sustained a hand injury following their team’s victory over Iceland.
Nigeria vs. Argentina match odds
In the upcoming match, Argentina is thought to have an edge over Nigeria.
Argentina has unfortunately been one of the most surprising disappointments of the 2018 World Cup so far. Initially pegged as an early favorite, the team was stunned by Iceland in its opening match, merely walking away with a draw despite the odds heavily in their favor.
A crushing 0-3 blowout loss to Croatia put them on the ropes amid reports of drama behind the scenes, but the struggling Argentinians have history on their side in the upcoming match, having bested Nigeria in both the 2014 and 2010 World Cups.
Manager Jorge Sampaoli, after his squad’s stinging loss to Croatia, signaled a renewed aggression for their last match.
‘We have to put everything we have in the last opportunity we have to fight, give it our all,’ he said.
With relentless pressure against Nigeria’s defense and the iconic Lionel Messi leading the attack, Argentina could very well pull through and move on to the Knockout Stage. The team can advance with a win over Nigeria and a loss or draw by Iceland against Croatia. Should Iceland defeat Croatia, they can still advance under the scenario of beating Nigeria and winning their tiebreaker against Iceland.
Nigeria, while currently ahead of Argentina on points, still faces a difficult challenge ahead of them. The Super Eagles have been one of the most erratic and least consistent teams of the tournament so far, falling 0-2 to Croatia after putting up little in terms of a fight but also putting on a commanding performance to defeat Iceland in a 2-0 victory.
With a strong squad that includes Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses and many others, the Nigerians are poised to give Argentina a tough fight no matter what the final score is.
UK MAIL
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