Russia vs Argentina
Friendly football games like this can have limited benefit.
That’s because at this time of the year, eight months before a major championship, do managers and players – let alone sports betting fans – really learn much from the outcome?
Normally that is.
But in this instance, the circumstances suggest otherwise.
For Russia, I beg one simple question.
Have the hosts ever been so keen to impress as they prepare to stage the largest football tournament on earth?
The off-the-field stories continue, this after the controversy linked to the awarding of Russia and Qatar as the next two countries to host World Cups.
Only this week, the Russian Football Union has been forced to deny it pledged to pay the Argentine Football Association $1 million if it agreed to the game.
And links to racism and discrimination remain.
But once the football starts in front of an estimated 78,000 crowd, it will be what happens on the pitch that matters.
The fact they have only played friendly games in recent months – as hosts they automatically qualify for the World Cup – could be seen as a distinct advantage or disadvantage but, either way, Stanislav Cherchesov and his charges will be extremely keen to impress.
For Argentina, the build-up to next summer starts now after they overcame their qualifying scare.
It may have taken a Lionel Messi hat-trick against Ecuador to secure the South Americans their ticket at the World Cup Finals but they are there now, and Jorge Sampaoli knows the pressure on the 2014 finalists will be intense.
He’s already shown he is not afraid to make contentious decisions, and the omission from the squad of Juventus hotshot Gonzalo Higuain and Sevilla attacker Joaquin Correa – for both this game and another friendly against Nigeria – is further proof.
Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi will also miss the double-header with injury.
Higuain’s club teammate Paulo Dybala and Manchester City’s talisman Sergio Aguero return, however, so the absentees will not make this game less entertaining as both nations try and use the 90 minutes to learn more about themselves and their opponents in the Luzhniki Stadium.
Who knows? With the qualifying draw set for next month, perhaps this will be an indicator of things to come should they meet again in Russia in the balmy summer of 2018!
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