Argentina will clash heads with Croatia at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Tuesday night hoping to pick up a positive result and progress into the finals of the World Cup campaign. Lionel Scaloni’s men will be coming into the match on the back of a 2(4)-2(3) victory over the Netherlands whereas Zlatko Dalic’s men recorded a 1(4)-1(2) win against Brazil in the semi-finals.
Lionel Scaloni will probably opt for the 4-3-3 formation; however, he might make a couple of changes for the upcoming fixture as Angel Di Maria looks likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.
4-3-3 Argentina Predicted Lineup Vs Croatia
Defence
Emiliano Martinez is expected to start in goal for the upcoming encounter. The Aston Villa shot-stopper would be looking to put up a strong performance and add to his tally of clean sheets on Tuesday.
Nicolas Otamendi will form the centre-half partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of Argentina’s backline.
Nahuel Molina is a guaranteed starter at the right-back position, whereas Nicolas Tagliafico will continue to feature as the left-back. The duo would be expected to stay compact and keep their shape defensively.
Lisandro Martinez will have to settle for a place on the bench but could be brought on in the latter stages of the game if needed.
Midfield
Enzo Fernandez is expected to start in the central midfield position whereas Rodrigo de Paul will slot in as the defensive midfielder. The duo would be determined to put up a strong performance and dominate the midfield proceedings against Croatia on Tuesday.
Alexis Mac Allister remains a sure-fire starter this week and it’ll be an understatement to say that Argentina will be highly dependent on the Brighton star’s creative work if they wish to pick up a positive result.
Leandro Paredes could be introduced in the second forty-five minutes of the match.
Attack
Julian Alvarez and Angel Di Maria will take up the wide positions, playing on the left and right wing respectively.
Lionel Messi is expected to lead the line for Argentina. The 35-year-old would hope to find the back of the net when he faces off against the Croatia defence that has kept two clean sheets in their last five matches.
Lautaro Martinez will have to settle for a place on the bench but he could come on in the second half if needed.
