It will then be a United States vs. Netherlands final
In the round of 16, Argentina will be facing Australia to keep its road to victory in the 2022 World Cup running. They qualified by winning Group C, taking six points from three matches, which included a surprising 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia on opening day. The eliminated groups went better and worse as they saw victories over Mexico (2-0) and Poland (2-0). Argentina won the World Cup twice in 1978 and 1986 and made it to the semi-final of Russia 2018 before being defeated by France.
The Australian team took six points from three matches finishing in second place in Group D. They lost to France (4-1) on the opening day of the tournament but then rallied, beating Tunisia 1-0 and Denmark 1-0. Australia hasn’t missed a World Cup since Germany 2006 when they reached the round of 16 only to be eliminated by eventual winners Italy. Since then they’ve not even managed to get past the group phase.
Here are some storylines to help you get a better understanding of what’s happening. You can check out the match, too:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 3 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, — Ar-Rayyan, Qatar
- TV: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Argentina -510; Draw +525; Australia +1500(via Caesars Sportsbook)
Getting to know the team
Argentina: Messi led the line for Argentina. The 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain talisman has contributed two goals and an assist in 270 minutes of football. One of those goals came from open play and the other was a penalty, while Messi successfully took 13 shots with eight hitting the target (61.54%). He’s also created nine chances for his teammates by completing eight take-on. One question going forward is who helps him in the attack as Angel Di Maria could be unavailable.
Australia: The Argentina team is one of the best national teams in the world, and Australia just doesn’t have the same attacking ability. They come second in virtually every attacking metric – shooting less, creating fewer chances, and scoring fewer goals. The Australian team’s chance at success against an Argentine striker on Saturday is within a very solid defensive strategy.
An assessment
Argentina starts the World Cup as the only team with a high likelihood to win it. They should have no problems in their next two games against Australia and Peru, which makes them worth backing. Argentina 3 – Australia 1
