Argentina are hosting Peru in a World Cup qualifier that they absolutely must win, or else, they could be obliged to face New Zealand in ‘anything can happen’ playoffs, or, even worse, finish 6th, and shock the football world by not being in Russia next year.
As there is no time to work the Dybala-Messi relationship, we should go to something more concrete
Jorge Sampaoli told reporters in a Press conference ahead of this ‘final’ against 4th-placed Peru, which will be held at Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera, a much more… intimate (due to the minimal distance between the stands and the pitch) stadium than River Plate’s Monumental.
Leo needs to move in the field normally as he does with his club
the Argentina coach said about Messi.
When we use the 4-2-3-1 formation, he is even further forward, always near the box. Being away from the box puts our best player far from the scoring positions and that is what he does best in his club. It is my job to make him understand that he is vital in the finishing, in the last third of the pitch
Sampaoli also said, knowing that Messi’s performance will most probably define the outcome of the match, in which Argentina simply cannot fail.
