Match Previews

Progressed dramatically to the last-16. Perez is a doubt but should be available.

Scraped past a battling Nigeria side for a vital 2:1 home win as they rescued a place in the last-16 of the World Cup. A strong start from the Argentinians saw them take the lead via Lionel Messi but their level dropped badly in the second half as Nigeria equalised.

It hardly looked like a winner was coming after that as the South American side huffed and puffed, and looked increasingly panicked and clueless. Yet Marcos Rojo proved the hero with a winner on 86 minutes and there is reprieve for Jorge Sampaoli and the players after a chaotic and mostly shambolic group stage.

Now face France in the role of an underdog and the hopes of the fans are that Argentina will not play with the same level of burden and pressure on their shoulders. They will have to be more compact and assured across the pitch and the performance in the first half of the last game should be treated as something of a blueprint.

Angel di Maria and Javier Mascerano struggled badly in the last game but it seems like they will keep their place. Enzo Perez is a bit of a doubt with a knock but should be available for the game.

The one possible change in the starting 11 compared to the Nigeria clash is Cristian Pavon coming in for Gonzalo Higuain and Messi starting as a false nine. Otherwise, only long-term absentees Dario Benedetto, Emmanuel Mammana, Sergio Romero and Manuel Lanzini are out injured.

The two countries have met just twice in World Cups, with Argentina winning 2:1 in 1978 and 1:0 in 1930.