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Argentina are under tremendous pressure as they prepare to take on Mexico in their second game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Scaloni's men had a 36-game unbeaten streak snapped by Saudi Arabia in their opening game.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is expected to shuffle his pack against Mexico. His side was stifled effectively by Saudi Arabia and he won't want a repeat of the same on Saturday. La Albiceleste have a star-studded squad and there is plenty of quality in their ranks.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how Argentina could line up against Mexico on Sunday.
Argentina goalkeeper - Emiliano Martinez
Emiliano Martinez has well and truly established himself as Argentina's number 1 and that is not going to change after the 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. His distribution was good but being unable to stop that second goal after getting a hand to it might just be haunting him.
Right-back - Nahuel Molina
Nahuel Molina was a decent outlet down the right flank for Argentina. He linked up well with Angel Di Maria but failed to do much to stop Saudi Arabia's goals. But Molina is likely to keep his place in the starting XI.
Centre-back - Nicolas Otamendi
Cristian Romero looked off the pace against Saudi Arabia and turned in a lackluster performance. He was hooked right before the hour mark and is likely to be rested here. The experienced Nicolas Otamendi could slot in as the right centre-back.
Centre-back - Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez's entry in place of Romero helped shore up Argentina's defense. Martinez has been in excellent form for Manchester United and his ball-playing and defensive abilities could help improve Lionel Scaloni's side.
Left-back - Nicolas Tagliafico
Nicolas Tagliafico didn't cover himself in glory with his dodgy defending against Saudi Arabia. But he might get another start against Mexico courtesy of his ability to contribute generously in attack.
Central midfielder - Rodrigo De Paul
Rodrigo De Paul failed to assert himself in the middle of the pitch for Argentina against Saudi Arabia. Enzo Fernandez will be hoping for a look-in, but De Paul has managed to cement his place in this Argentina's starting lineup and one sub-par performance is unlikely to get him replaced.
Central midfielder - Leandro Paredes
Leandro Paredes' tenacity will be key to Argentina's game against Mexico. He played decently against Saudi Arabia and won the penalty which Lionel Messi converted.
Attacking midfielder - Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi was central to almost every attack that Argentina launched against Saudi Arabia and scored their only goal of the game. But he was also guilty of missing a great chance and made a few mistakes intermittently.
Messi is likely to play as the attacking midfielder against Mexico and be tasked with providing support to the forwards.
Right-winger - Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria looked dangerous against Saudi Arabia and the experienced Argentina forward has shown a knack for coming up clutch during key moments. He is very likely to keep his place in the starting XI as he offers great work rate and creativity in the final third.
Striker - Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez struggled against Saudi Arabia's high-line as evidenced by his two goals that were chalked off for offside. Martinez will need to improve on that aspect and be a lot more effective in the final third.
Left-winger - Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez came off the bench in the loss against Saudi Arabia but managed to make a case for himself in the limited time he was involved. He took a number of shots and came close with a header that was cleared off the line. Alvarez is likely to start down the left side for Argentina against Mexico.
