The world champions are finally back in action. For the first time since their celebratory fixtures in late March, Argentina return to the pitch, with the World Cup holders taking on Australia in a rematch of their Qatar 2022 showdown. Beijing will be the venue for this tie as La Albiceleste aim to land another killing blow on the Socceroos.
It was roughly three months ago when Lionel Messi and Co. locked horns with Panama at a packed-out El Monumental. Fans of the South American powerhouse flooded the iconic stadium in a bid to serenade the Argentine players following their successful campaign at Qatar 2022.
Lionel Messi's men headed to Qatar with the dream of winning the Word Cup in what would be Leo's final tournament, and that is just what they did, beating France on penalties in the final to lift the title. This ended their 36-year for this trophy, with La Pulga finally living up to the shoes of the late Diego Maradona.
La Albiceleste beat Panama 2-0 on that day, with Messi getting on the scoresheet, much to the pleasure of the home fans. After the final whistle, the players celebrated their unforgettable achievement in Qatar with their beloved supporters, with Emiliano Martinez and a handful of other players shedding tears in front of the crowd.
Scaloni's men would play another game a few days later, this time taking on Curacao, whom they thrashed 7-0. Leo grabbed a hat-trick in that fixture while Di Maria, Enzo Fernandez, and Nico Gonzalez also got on the scoresheet. Will the World Cup holders add to their unbeaten streak when they face Australia?
The Socceroos, meanwhile, will be aiming for revenge against Argentina when the pair face off, which is a statement not many would have associated between these two national teams.
The AFC heavyweights locked horns with Messi and Co. at the recent FIFA World Cup, facing off in the round of 16 after Graham Arnold's men shocked everyone to beat Denmark to qualify out of their group alongside runners-up France. Not many expected the 2015 Asian Cup winners to lay a glove on the Argentines but Australia nearly took the eventual champions to extra time.
Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez scored roughly 10 minutes before and after half-time, respectively. However, an unfortunate Enzo Fernandez own goal in the 77th minute meant La Albiceleste were in for a nervous final few minutes. In fact, had it not been for an outstanding save from Emi Martinez in the final minutes of the game, one of his many wonder saves at Qatar 2022, the Socceroos would have pulled off a comeback and forced extra time.
Since their World Cup exit, Australia have played Ecuador twice and have endured mixed results, losing one while winning the other. The World Cup champions should be on a completely different level but it will be interesting to see how Maty Ryan and Co. fare against La Albiceleste.
Team news
Argentina: Lisandro Martinez is injured while Juan Foyth, Papu Gomez, Angel Correa, Paulo Dybala, and Lautaro Martinez have all been left out of the squad. Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Brighton & Hove Albion's Facundo Buonanotte have been called up and will be hoping to make their senior team debut. Meanwhile, new Liverpool signing Alexis Mac Allister should start alongside Enzo and De Paul in midfield.
Australia: Seven of the players that were in the matchday squad for the Argentina defeat and they are Aaron Mooy, Craig Goodwin, Jason Cummings, Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, Jackson Irvine, and Bailey Wright, The Socceroos head boss also opted for a more youthful look.
Key stats
-
Argentina are unbeaten in their seven encounters with Australia, drawing one while winning the other six.
-
La Albiceleste have lost only once in 45 games and that sole defeat came in their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.
-
Scaloni's men are unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
