I’d much rather face Argentina than Switzerland, and I’m sure Thomas Tuchel and the England squad feel the same—they’ll believe Argentina can be got at.
Argentina looked exposed out wide. Nahuel Molina, who started at right-back, struggled badly against Dan Ndoye, who scored. Molina was eventually substituted, and whether he or Gonzalo Montiel starts versus England, Anthony Gordon will give them plenty to think about.
On the other flank, whether it’s Noni Madueke or Bukayo Saka, I’d back England’s right winger to get the better of Nicolas Tagliafico in one-on-one situations.
In the middle, Lisandro Martínez has been error-prone throughout this tournament. I can see another mistake coming.
Tactically, Argentina crowd the centre and play very narrow, trying to find Messi and let him create. It really did feel like “stop Messi, stop Argentina.” Beyond him, they’re hoping for something like a long-range effort from Julián Álvarez rather than incisive combination play.
Álvarez is often used in midfield but played a bit higher against Switzerland, making runs to stretch their back line. If he didn’t run in behind, no one did. Messi won’t make those runs, and he was quiet for long spells until the Swiss went down to 10 men; then he started to probe and looked more dangerous.
If Declan Rice is fit, containing Messi will be his brief. Switzerland showed you can’t give Messi any space—Granit Xhaka handled that superbly.
Messi will always carry a threat, but he’s 39 now. If Tuchel has a plan to deny him those pockets, I think England’s overall quality will tell.
This will be a terrific tie given the World Cup history—the Maradona handball, the Beckham red card. Past meetings have been fiery, and I expect more of that.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Argentina lean into the dark arts—they enjoy that edge. They’ll want the game to get chaotic and for England to lose composure.
But if England keep their cool, I see a comfortable win—and I’m even tipping Argentina to finish with nine men.
Messi has never faced England; maybe he’ll leave his mark. But England have their own superstar in Jude Bellingham. His first goal against Norway was outstanding—power, balance, and a clinical finish. He’s in electric form, and if one player decides this match, it could be him.
Sutton’s prediction: 3-1 AI’s prediction: 1-2