Argentina head into their final Group J fixture with qualification already secured as the reigning world champions take on World Cup debutants Jordan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday.
Lionel Scaloni’s side have enjoyed a flawless start to their title defence, winning both of their opening matches to guarantee top spot in the group with a game to spare. Lionel Messi has once again been the driving force behind Argentina’s campaign, scoring all five of the team’s goals so far, including a hat-trick against Algeria before netting twice against Austria to become the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
With the knockout stage now the priority, Scaloni is expected to heavily rotate his squad and rest several key players, including
Messi, who is likely to feature only from the bench. Argentina will face Group H runners-up Cape Verde in the round of 32 after the African nation completed a historic qualification campaign.
Jordan, meanwhile, are playing for pride after their maiden World Cup journey ended in the group stage. The tournament debutants have lost both of their matches but have shown encouraging signs by scoring in each game. They opened with a 3-1 defeat to Austria before taking the lead against Algeria, only to eventually lose 2-1. The head-to-head tiebreaker confirmed their elimination before the final group match.
While Jordan will hope to sign off with a memorable performance against the defending champions, they face one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
Jordan predicted lineup (3-4-3)
Abulaila; Al-Arab, Nasib, Abu Dahab; Haddad, Al-Rashdan, Al-Rawabdeh, Abu Taha; Al-Tamari, Olwan, Al-Mardi.
Argentina predicted lineup (4-4-2)
E. Martínez; Montiel, Otamendi, L. Martínez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernández, Almada; González, Álvarez.
Head-to-head
This will be the first-ever senior international meeting between Argentina and Jordan.
Team form
Jordan: L-L-L-L-D
Argentina: W-W-W-W-W
Match prediction
Argentina have looked every bit like defending champions, with Messi once again inspiring the team despite approaching his 40th birthday. Even with expected squad rotation, the South Americans possess far greater quality and depth than their opponents.
Jordan have competed bravely throughout their debut World Cup campaign but are likely to find Argentina too strong.
Prediction: Jordan 0-2 Argentina
