Argentina vs Iraq, Olympics Football 2024, Today Match Prediction

Argentina vs Iraq Match Prediction & Analysis

In the second round of group stage matches, two time gold medalists Argentina will take on Iraq in a Group B clash at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon on July 27 at 6:30 PM IST. It will be a must-win encounter for La Albiceleste given what transpired in its opening match against the U-23 African Cup of Nations champions, Morocco. 

On the opening day of the games, Argentina suffered a shocking loss against Morocco, in a game marred by disruptions and utter chaos. In the end after 2 hours of disruption and a disallowed goal in the added time, La Albiceleste had to content with a defeat by a scoreline, 2-1. 

On the other hand, Iraq had a normal game to start with and finished the game by defeating a much favoured Ukrainian side by 2-1. With 3 points from their opening game, Iraq shares the top spot in Group B with Morocco. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Argentina Preview

Argentina got off to the worst possible start in their first match, losing to Morocco in a stunning setback that their coach described as a 'circus'. It had it all: confusion, controversy, and goals. In terms of play, Javier Mascherano's team was not at their best, particularly in the first half, when they only managed one shot on goal while Morocco scored on their only chance of the half. 

Despite conceding again in the second half, they improved, with Someone scoring in the 68th minute to give them hope. And they were rewarded for their superb half before the end of the ‘16th minute’ of the additional time, when a goal from Medina tied the game, only to be disallowed by VAR after two hours. 

Mascherano can blame the outside interference or VAR all he wants, but, he will know that his team wasn't up to par especially in the first half. Someone like Zenon on the wide midfield was  constantly being outplayed by Hakimi and co. on the flanks and had to be replaced by the eventual goal scorer in the 54th minute of the match. 

At the same time, the experienced Julian Alvarez looked out of sorts and out of sync with his teammates on the pitch, as he could only manage one shot on target in the whole game. Not to mention the defence had a tough time containing Soufiane Rahimi, as he had won a lot of ground duels and constantly peppered the left flank of the defence. 

Given how the match played out, one can expect some changes to the starting 11 from Mascherano on Saturday. Giuliano Simeone will walk straight into the XI in place of  Zenon, and Mascherano might be tempted to give a chance to starting with Echeverry, who made a lasting impression in the final stages of the game. If Echeverry comes in, there's a possibility of Mascherano going in with a 4-3-3 formation instead of a 4-4-2 one. 

Argentina Probable Starting XI: G Rulli (Goalkeeper) ; J García, M Di Césare, N Otamendi ©, J Soler (Defenders); T Almada, C Medina, S Hezze, Giuliano Simeone (Midfielders); L Beltrán, J Álvarez

Iraq Preview

Iraq, making a comeback to Olympics football after a gap of 8 years had a memorable start to their campaign, defeating Ukraine in a hard-fought encounter. One thing was certain about the Iranian side: they had the mental fortitude to recover from difficult circumstances. It was on full display on Wednesday, when they rallied from a one-goal deficit, similar to their bronze medal battle against Indonesia in the African Cup of Nations, to win 2-1 at the end of the game.

The highlight of the game was how well they defended and made the most out of their chances to score two goals. Overall, they won 64% of their tackles while winning most of the ground and aerial duels in the match. From an attacking point of view, Aymen Hussein was the standout throughout out match and scored the opening goal for Iraq. Towards the end of the game, Iraq’s MVP from the Olympics qualifiers made an appearance and was a constant threat to Ukraine on their right flank, and he ended up scoring the winner in the 75th minute of the game. 

In terms of tactics, Radhi Shenaishil used a 4-2-3-1 formation as expected and is likely to start the game with the same formation without making any changes to the 11. Though there's a possibility of bringing Ali Jasim straight away into the 11, given how the Argentinian flanks have looked vulnerable in their opening game. 

Iraq Probable Starting XI - H Rasetim (Goalkeeper); M Saadoun Al Korji, H Al Rikabi, Z Hantoosh, A Al Reeshawee (Defenders) ; I Kamil Al Kaabawi, K Ali, H Ali, M Maslookhi (Midfielders) ; Y Amyn, A Hussein(c) (Forward) 

ARGENTINA vs IRAQ
Winning Prediction

Wednesday's loss against Morocco was Argentina’s second loss in a week after they lost to yet another African nation, Mali, by a solitary goal. It was also their third loss in the past five games. Despite that, Javier Mascherano's Argentina is considered the favourites to win the game against Iraq on Saturday. 

However, Iraq, in their opening game against Ukraine, has already shown how good they are when their backs are up against the wall. With a solid defensive backline and players like Ali Jasim and Aymen Hussein at the frontline, the Radhi Shenaishil-led side will be a tough proposition for La La Albiceleste in their must win encounter. This is a tricky game to call, but we will go in favour of Argentina. 

Argentina U23 to Win (2-1)

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