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International Friendly Preview: Argentina - Spain
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By Subhankar Mondal
A new day, a new start
New Argentina coach Sergio Batista is looking to create the team in his own vision and has already made changes to the squad that failed to reach the semi-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With the expectations of the football fanatics in the South American country as high as ever, indeed Batista will have to deliver right from the start.
Last week the 47-year-old, who won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, told reporters: "In both national teams there are good ball players, attackers of a similar standard. The style is similar. This Argentina could play like Spain, easily."
Indeed, defensive midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, overlooked by former coach Diego Maradona to go to South Africa, says that Spanish football is a model to follow and adds: "[Batista's] idea is for the team to have that [Spanish] identity ... holding possession as much time as possible. We have to try that, we have the players to achieve it. One shouldn't die before trying to play like Spain."
Star player Lionel Messi too emphasised the importance of maintaining possession of the ball and explained: "It is a great game to be able to play in. I am sure it will be an open match, Spain plays possession football and that will allow us to play as well.
"We will have to get the ball of them, it is not going to be easy, but when we have the ball then you will see that both sides have similar ideas of playing the game.
"Argentina has got great players and that I why I think we can win an open game. But I repeat that it is very important for us to have the ball."
Goals galore
Reigning European and world champions Spain commenced their conquest for the Euro 2012 finals in perfect style on Friday when they defeated Liechtenstein 4-0 in their opening game of the qualifying campaign. Striker Fernando Torres struck twice and David Villa scored once to equal Raul's all-time record of 44 international goals for his nation.
The last time Spain took on Argentina was in another friendly in November 2009 in Madrid. At the time la Furia Roja won the match 2-1 with the Spain defenders and midfielders smothering the threat of Messi to marvellous effect. Coach Vicente del Bosque knows the significance of stopping the 23-year-old and said: "We have players who know him perfectly well but, however much you control or know him, he's capable of finding solutions to any problem he faces.
"He's an extraordinary player who, at the World Cup, without scoring a goal, showed he could have scored seven or eight in the group games."
Right-back Sergio Ramos too has identified Messi as a major threat but warns that his Real Madrid teammate Gonzalo Higuain too is a cause for concern.
He said: “[Gonazlo] Higuain and [Lionel] Messi are two players who are always in contact with the goal, and we must be very attentive to them. We also have our own style and we’ll worry about ourselves.
“I think we know the wide range of ability that the Argentines have, but we will try and continue with our own philosophy, which has led us to so many successes.”
Team News
Argentina
Andres D'Alessandro is back in the Argentina squad after five years. He inspired Internacional to the Copa Libertadores last month and is likely to slot in just behind the front three. Javier Zanetti should start at right-back while Gabriel Milito is likely to partner Walter Samuel in central defence.
Probable starting XI: Romero; Zanetti, Samuel, Milito, Heinze; Mascherano, Cambiasso; D'Alessandro; Messi, Milito, Tevez.
Spain
Del Bosque is likely to begin the match with the same line-up that started in their Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday.
Probable starting XI: Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Marchena, Capdevila; Xavi, Alonso, Busquets, Iniesta; Villa, Torres.
New Argentina coach Sergio Batista is looking to create the team in his own vision and has already made changes to the squad that failed to reach the semi-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With the expectations of the football fanatics in the South American country as high as ever, indeed Batista will have to deliver right from the start.
Last week the 47-year-old, who won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, told reporters: "In both national teams there are good ball players, attackers of a similar standard. The style is similar. This Argentina could play like Spain, easily."
Indeed, defensive midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, overlooked by former coach Diego Maradona to go to South Africa, says that Spanish football is a model to follow and adds: "[Batista's] idea is for the team to have that [Spanish] identity ... holding possession as much time as possible. We have to try that, we have the players to achieve it. One shouldn't die before trying to play like Spain."
Star player Lionel Messi too emphasised the importance of maintaining possession of the ball and explained: "It is a great game to be able to play in. I am sure it will be an open match, Spain plays possession football and that will allow us to play as well.
"We will have to get the ball of them, it is not going to be easy, but when we have the ball then you will see that both sides have similar ideas of playing the game.
"Argentina has got great players and that I why I think we can win an open game. But I repeat that it is very important for us to have the ball."
Goals galore
Reigning European and world champions Spain commenced their conquest for the Euro 2012 finals in perfect style on Friday when they defeated Liechtenstein 4-0 in their opening game of the qualifying campaign. Striker Fernando Torres struck twice and David Villa scored once to equal Raul's all-time record of 44 international goals for his nation.
The last time Spain took on Argentina was in another friendly in November 2009 in Madrid. At the time la Furia Roja won the match 2-1 with the Spain defenders and midfielders smothering the threat of Messi to marvellous effect. Coach Vicente del Bosque knows the significance of stopping the 23-year-old and said: "We have players who know him perfectly well but, however much you control or know him, he's capable of finding solutions to any problem he faces.
"He's an extraordinary player who, at the World Cup, without scoring a goal, showed he could have scored seven or eight in the group games."
Right-back Sergio Ramos too has identified Messi as a major threat but warns that his Real Madrid teammate Gonzalo Higuain too is a cause for concern.
He said: “[Gonazlo] Higuain and [Lionel] Messi are two players who are always in contact with the goal, and we must be very attentive to them. We also have our own style and we’ll worry about ourselves.
“I think we know the wide range of ability that the Argentines have, but we will try and continue with our own philosophy, which has led us to so many successes.”
Team News
Argentina
Andres D'Alessandro is back in the Argentina squad after five years. He inspired Internacional to the Copa Libertadores last month and is likely to slot in just behind the front three. Javier Zanetti should start at right-back while Gabriel Milito is likely to partner Walter Samuel in central defence.Probable starting XI: Romero; Zanetti, Samuel, Milito, Heinze; Mascherano, Cambiasso; D'Alessandro; Messi, Milito, Tevez.
Spain
Del Bosque is likely to begin the match with the same line-up that started in their Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday.Probable starting XI: Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Marchena, Capdevila; Xavi, Alonso, Busquets, Iniesta; Villa, Torres.
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Argentina 1-2 Spain
- 17.32 %
-
Argentina 2-1 Spain
- 15.95 %
-
Argentina 0-2 Spain
- 8.63 %
| International Friendlies (FR) | 7 Sep 2010 | Argentina 4 - Spain 1 |
|
| International Friendlies (FR) | 14 Nov 2009 | Spain 2 - Argentina 1 |
|
| International Friendlies (FR) | 11 Oct 2006 | Spain 2 - Argentina 1 |
|
Argentina
   |
||
| 15 Nov 2011 | Colombia 1 - Argentina 2 | WCQS |
| 11 Nov 2011 | Argentina 1 - Bolivia 1 | WCQS |
| 12 Oct 2011 | Venezuela 1 - Argentina 0 | WCQS |
| 8 Oct 2011 | Argentina 4 - Chile 1 | WCQS |
| 29 Sep 2011 | Brazil 2 - Argentina 0 | FR |
Spain
 |
||
| 15 Nov 2011 | Costa Rica 2 - Spain 2 | FR |
| 12 Nov 2011 | England 1 - Spain 0 | FR |
| 11 Oct 2011 | Spain 3 - Scotland 1 | EC |
| 7 Oct 2011 | Czech Republic 0 - Spain 2 | EC |
| 6 Sep 2011 | Spain 6 - Liechtenstein 0 | EC |
|
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Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
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Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
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- Spain continue to top Fifa World Rankings ahead of Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay & England
- Diego Maradona: Napoli will always be in my heart
- Barcelona's Lionel Messi: Winning the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or was not a surprise
- Argentina FA president Julio Grondona dreams of Barcelona's Pep Guardiola's appointment
- Spain coach Vicente del Bosque 'cannot ignore' recent poor form of Chelsea's Fernando Torres in lead-up to Euro 2012
- Vicente del Bosque to retire when he leaves Spain coaching job
- Barcelona striker David Villa optimistic about featuring at Euro 2012
- Chelsea's Juan Mata backs Fernando Torres to rediscover goal-scoring touch
| - | Sergio Romero | Goalkeeper |
| - | Gabriel Heinze | |
| - | Gabriel Milito | |
| - | Martín Demichelis | Defender |
| - | Javier Adelmar Zanetti | |
| - | Javier Mascherano | Midfielder |
| - | Esteban Matias Cambiasso | |
| - | Ever Banega | Midfielder |
| - | Carlos Tevez | |
| - | Lionel Messi | Striker |
| - | Gonzalo Higuaín | Striker |
| - | Mariano Gonzalo Andújar | Goalkeeper |
| - | Nicolas Andres Burdisso | Defender |
| - | Mario Ariel Bolatti | Midfielder |
| - | Diego Alberto Milito | |
| - | Ezequiel Lavezzi | Striker |
| - | Kun Agüero | Striker |
| - | Andrés D'Alessandro | |
| - | Walter Adrian Samuel | |
| - | Ángel Fabián Di María | Midfielder |
| 23 | José Reina Paez | Goalkeeper |
| 17 | Arbeloa | Defender |
| - | Carlos Marchena | |
| 3 | Gerard Piqué | Defender |
| - | Monreal | Defender |
| 14 | Xabi Alonso | Midfielder |
| 16 | Sergio Busquets Burgos | Midfielder |
| 10 | Cesc Fàbregas | Midfielder |
| 6 | Andrés Iniesta Luján | Midfielder |
| 21 | David Silva | Midfielder |
| 7 | David Villa | Striker |
| 1 | Iker Casillas | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Raúl Albiol Tortajada | Defender |
| 1 | Víctor Valdés | Goalkeeper |
| 20 | S. Iraheta | Midfielder |
| 18 | Pedro | Striker |
| - | Capdevila | |
| 15 | Sergio Ramos | Defender |
| 8 | Xavi | Midfielder |
| 22 | Jesús Navas González | Midfielder |
| 19 | Fernando Llorente Torres | Striker |
| Lionel Messi | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 0 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Barcelona star wasn't exactly a disappointment at the World Cup but he didn't light up the South African night sky either. The 23-year-old is the world's finest player and Argentina will be looking towards him for inspiration.
| David Villa | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 7 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
David Villa equalled Raul's all-time record of 44 internationals goals for Spain on Friday and this could be the match in which the Barcelona striker scores his 45th for the European and world champions. Villa is the world's most complete centre-forward and indeed he will be looking to break the record against one of the world's most famous national teams.
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Results
Times In GMT
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Didier Drogba
Striker Ivory Coast |
1 | 0 |
|
Ricardo Clark
Midfielder USA |
1 | 0 |
|
Carlos Amoldo Salcido
Defender Mexico |
1 | 0 |
|
Rafael Márquez Lugo
Striker Mexico |
1 | 0 |
|
Salomon Kalou
Striker Ivory Coast |
1 | 0 |
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