England have nothing to fear from toiling champions Argentina in bid to reach first World Cup final for 60 years

Given their status as holders, it's fair to say that Argentina have made incredibly heavy weather of their World Cup defence so far. Like England, a favourable draw bracket meant they had what looked like a very straightforward pathway to the semi-finals, but the reality has been anything but.

Scaloni's side did ease through the group phase, taking maximum points from their clashes with Algeria, Austria and Jordan as Messi plundered six goals in three games, but the knockout rounds have been far more complicated and exposed some significant chinks in the world champions' armour.

Quite remarkably, Argentina required extra time to get past minnows Cape Verde in the last 32, with an 111th-minute own goal ultimately the difference despite the gulf between the two teams both in terms of quality and FIFA's men's rankings. They then looked dead and buried in the round-of-16 clash with Egypt, finding themselves 2-0 down with 11 minutes to play before miraculously battling back to win the game 3-2, this time through Enzo Fernandez's stoppage-time winner.

Any hope that the Albiceleste would click into gear in the quarter-finals faded when Dan Ndoye equalised for Switzerland midway through the second half, and they were on the back foot before Breel Embolo was shown a contentious second yellow card for simulation after a VAR review. Despite playing against 10 men for the final 20 minutes, the Argentines again needed extra time and a wonder goal from Julian Alvarez to see their opponents off. All of this despite being yet to play another nation in FIFA's top 10.

The fact that Argentina have been taken to extra time twice in the knockout phase (compared to once for England) and have had marginally less rest before the semi-final will likely also come into play.

Having been solid enough defensively in the group stage, conceding just once, Argentina have shipped five goals in three knockout games (six if you include Egypt's disallowed strike in the last 16) to relatively weaker opposition - and that is something that should give England huge encouragement.

In their last three matches, the holders have suffered against swift transitions, tricky wing play and crosses from out wide - all of which the Three Lions will consider to be among their most significant attacking weapons. Tuchel's men will be reliant on Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham to make things happen in those moments.

Argentine defenders Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez have both admitted their defence needs to "focus" and "improve", and England legend Chris Waddle is convinced that the backline is the South Americans' biggest area of weakness.

Speaking to 10bet, he said: "I do believe Argentina are not the best defensively. We know how good they are going forward with the players they've got, but defensively, I'm surprised a lot of teams haven't got at them more. They lack a bit of pace and there's not a lot of mobility back there.

"If you're brave enough to go at them, we saw the other day that they're not that good defensively. England will take a lot of belief and confidence when they watch Argentina play and see that they can't defend."

With that in mind, this is a match that could be won and lost in the midfield, and England will fancy their chances in that department. If the Argentine engine room cannot protect the backline, then they will be in serious trouble.

Scaloni's selection there has been curious; in the knockouts the manager has reverted to a diamond formation featuring four centre-midfielders in Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes, seemingly in an attempt to overload the middle of the pitch and create space for Messi ahead of them. The latter sits deep with De Paul on the right, Mac Allister on the left and Fernandez as a No.10.

However, the narrow box shape leaves the kind of space out wide that has been exploited by wingers throughout the tournament - most recently Ndoye. The Switzerland man had the better of right-back Nahuel Molina, who was exposed behind the ageing De Paul. That is where Gordon and Saka should have the room to thrive, if they can be picked out by their team-mates.

Bellingham, Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice - who should be fit and raring to go having sat out the second half and extra time against Norway - will relish the battle against De Paul and Paredes, who are undoubtedly past their best. Fernandez and Mac Allister, meanwhile, will be familiar opponents from the Premier League, and the England trio should at least have the edge there in terms of physicality and athleticism.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Scaloni could make some significant tactical tweaks on Wednesday, potentially bringing in the more mobile Exequiel Palacios and out-and-out winger Giuliano Simeone, or even switching to a 5-3-2 formation using wing-backs - a system he deployed in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands.

What Anderson, Rice and Bellingham will have to ensure, though, is that they keep their heads. All of their opposite numbers on Wednesday are masters of the dark arts, with De Paul and Paredes particularly skilled in the kind of sh*thousery that can easily rattle a fired-up opponent. England cannot afford any needless yellow or red cards.

One notable outcome of Argentina's extra-time triumph in the quarter-finals was that Switzerland became the first nation to stop Messi scoring at this World Cup, and that's something England should take both learnings and belief from.

After two draining knockout games against Cape Verde and Egypt, La Pulga was kept relatively quiet by the highest-ranked team the holders have faced so far in North America. Although he did assist Mac Allister's early goal from a corner, Messi was unable to find the back of the net from the three chances he had himself.

Could this be the first sign that the iconic attacker is running out of steam? After all, he had thrown his own participation into doubt in the months leading up to the main event amid concerns over his age and fitness. The knockouts have certainly been exhausting for the Albiceleste, and Messi was reportedly among those to sit out training on Sunday to manage his workload.

England legend Wayne Rooney believes that, despite his immeasurable attacking threat, Messi could actually be a weak point for Argentina. "He can be an issue defensively for Argentina," Rooney said on BBC punditry duty. "He doesn't run back, but he has big moments a bit like with Jude Bellingham. He has big moments and moments of quality."

Messi aside, England can take encouragement from the fact that Argentina's other attacking players are yet to deliver consistently at this World Cup. Sitting on eight goals, their talisman is six ahead of Lautaro Martinez, whose two efforts have come in the form of a penalty against Jordan and a simple finish late in extra time against Switzerland.

Alvarez, meanwhile, only got off the mark courtesy of his stunning, match-winning strike against the Swiss last time out, having disappointingly struggled to find his rhythm as his tournament unfolds against the backdrop of his push to leave Atletico Madrid this summer.

As a result, Argentina have leaned heavily on Messi's goals, which have been supplemented by singular contributions from others across the pitch. If England can suppress their main threat, though, then the Albiceleste may have to rely on a moment of inspiration from elsewhere to get them through, but that is something Tuchel's side will feel they have a better chance of controlling.

Granted, the Three Lions have counted on the exploits of Bellingham and Kane (six goals each), with Marcus Rashford the only other member of the entire squad to have found the back of the net, but given that their key attacking players are both firing and the likes of Gordon and Saka are delivering the goods from out wide with three assists apiece, it seems that they have found more of a balance going forward.

England's biggest weapon on Wednesday night might not even be on the pitch. Games like this are the reason the Football Association (FA) pivoted from mild-mannered Englishman Gareth Southgate to a ruthless, revered tactician like Tuchel, and the German has demonstrated his aptitude for the cup competitions throughout the tournament already.

His in-game decision-making has helped the Three Lions push to what is just their third World Cup semi-final ever - already a significant feat after the decades of hurt that came before. Like Argentina, Tuchel & Co. have had scares, but at no point has it felt as though they have been staring down the barrel of certain defeat, and that is largely down to the man in the dugout.

Bringing Gordon on against DR Congo in the last 32 and seeing him assist Kane's match-winning brace, the defensive masterclass when down to 10 men against Mexico in the Azteca cauldron, his now-famous half-time team talk against Croatia in the opening game; England's tournament has been defined by these moments.

"I'm enjoying it a lot. I feel very alive in these moments," Tuchel said after the victory over Norway. "This is this is where I want to be. I don't want to be anywhere else in the world in these minutes. And in this very moment, nowhere else in the whole wide world."

If the manager can deliver again in Atlanta on Wednesday, he will be on the cusp of greatness.