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European champions Italy and Copa America winners Argentina will lock horns in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley on Wednesday, 1 June.
The last 12 months have been a roller coaster ride for the Italian football team. They never really looked that dominant, but they just couldn't be beaten for a very long time. The Azzurri went 37 games without tasting defeat until they were felled by Spain in the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League last year.
Italy had already won the 2020 European championship by then. However, a disappointing spell of results followed as the star-studded Italian side failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Against all odds, the Azzurri lost to European minnows North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifying playoffs and will not compete in a World Cup for a second consecutive time. They will look to make a point as they go up against the champions of South America on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Argentina haven't played a game of football since a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in late March. They are unbeaten across all competitions since July 2019 across 31 games and will look to extend that as they square off against Italy on Wednesday.
This is going to be a high-profile contest between the two footballing giants. There are going to be plenty of interesting battles all over the pitch.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five key battles that could affect the outcome of the Finalissima.
#5 Guido Rodriguez (Argentina) vs Nicolo Barella (Italy)
Real Betis defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez has been a consistent performer for both club and country in recent times. He will have his work cut out against the unrelenting Nicolo Barella on Wednesday.
Barella was excellent for Inter Milan this term and he is undoubtedly one of the best central midfielders in the game right now. In 47 appearances across all competitions for the Nerazzurri this term, the 25-year-old scored four goals and provided 14 assists.
Rodriguez will have his hands full on Wednesday and will need to be on high-alert throughout as he simply cannot allow Barella to assert himself.
#4 Marco Verratti (Italy) vs Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina)
Marco Verratti will be Italy's creator-in-chief as they go up against Argentina. Verratti was in fine form for Paris Saint-Germain this term and signed off with a couple of really good performances against Montpellier and Metz.
He will look to roam into Argentina's half and cause problems for Lionel Scaloni's men. Rodrigo De Paul will be tasked with curbing Verratti's threat in addition to providing support to his attackers. The Atletico Madrid midfielder had a bit of a topsy-turvy season but was excellent in the final weeks of the campaign.
He scored two goals in the Rojiblancos' last three La Liga games this season and was named the man of the match in two of them.
#3 Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) vs Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
Lautaro Martinez will lead the attack for Argentina. He enjoyed a productive season with Inter Milan but will be gutted to have not been able to retain the Scudetto this term. Martinez is one of the finest young strikers in Europe right now.
He will be up against Giorgio Chiellini. This will be the legendary Italian defender's final game for the Italian national team. Chiellini might struggle to contain Martinez due to the latter's pace but we've seen the 37-year-old tame quicker attackers. This one is definitely a battle to look forward to.
#2 Lorenzo Insigne (Italy) vs Nahuel Molina (Argentina)
Lorenzo Insigne will be a livewire in attack for Roberto Mancini's side. The diminutive winger did a pretty good job for Napoli this term, scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.
Argentina have quite a few options at right-back but are likely to go with Udinese's Nahuel Molina. The 24-year-old is starting to become a fixture in Argentina's starting lineup.
He did a pretty good job for Udinese in the 2021-22 season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in 35 Serie A appearances.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina) vs Emerson Palmieri (Italy)
Lionel Messi had a bit of a disappointing debut season in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain by his own lofty standards. But he was Argentina's standout performer in their triumphant run at the 2021 Copa America and was named the 'Player of the Tournament'.
Messi is likely to be deployed down the right wing where he will go up against Emerson. The 27-year-old had a decent season with Lyon where he was on loan from Chelsea. Messi is likely to cause a lot of problems for Emerson.
Even though the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner hasn't really been among the goals this season, he has been a creative force in the final third. Emerson will need to be at the top of his game to keep Messi at bay on Wednesday night.
