The Super Clasico of the World Cup will see Brazil play host to the reigning world champions Argentina tomorrow at 6:30 am. Football in both countries has taken a roller-coaster ride since the World Cup. While Argentina has tasted success, Brazil is striving to find its footing.
The match between the two arch-rivals is set to take place in an iconic showdown. Injuries have sidelined stars like Neymar and Vinicius, leaving Lionel Messi to face Brazil alone. Both sides have also incurred losses in their previous two matches. Therefore, ahead of this match, Brazil’s captain Rodrigo has advised Messi to be particularly cautious. He further added that he believes Argentina will show them respect, just as they will reciprocate that respect.
Argentina has played phenomenal football up until the latest Uruguay match, winning 8 consecutive games post the World Cup. However, they lost 2-0 to Uruguay in the latest match. Despite this, Argentina, led by Lionel Scaloni, is anticipated to be the favorites in tomorrow’s match. Rodrigo said, “I believe they (Argentina) will show us respect, as we will show them. But the match will be tough.”
The focus of attention in the Brazil-Argentina match will undoubtedly be on Messi. Rodrigo has advised caution regarding Messi’s presence in the match. The young Brazilian went on to say, “It’s undeniable. He’s one of the greatest players in football history. So, we need to be careful about him.”
On the other hand, apart from Neymar’s injury, Brazil is set to face Argentina without their star player. Beating Argentina without their top player will surely be a daunting task for Argentina. However, Brazil coach Tite doesn’t quite share that view.
Last week, he mentioned, “Nobody should feel pressured to take Neymar’s responsibility. We have a fantastic generation of players. Many can take up that responsibility. But what’s important is not to create pressure on them. The players need to feel confident and show their best selves.”
The match between Brazil and Argentina promises to be an electrifying encounter, especially with all eyes on Messi and the challenge both teams face without their top players.
