Coach Scaloni: 'Argentina is not a champion candidate'

After a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening match, Argentina got up with two consecutive victories against two more difficult opponents, Mexico and Poland, with the same score of 2-0. They entered the 1/8 round with the first place in Group C and will meet an opponent that is said to be far behind the Australian level on Sunday, December 4.

However, coach Scaloni emphasized that Australia is not an easy opponent to play. He said he would dissect the Asian representative band to study tactics. "There are no easy games in football today," Scaloni said after the match at 974. "We are not title contenders. We will fight every game. Argentina played well today, which is very important. , but nothing more than that".

The 44-year-old leader also said that having a break of less than 72 hours is a disadvantage for Argentina. He said: "It is 1am now and we will only have Friday to fully train. It is difficult to prepare for a knock-out in such a short time."

Scaloni made effective changes in the last two games of the group stage. Those given the chance like Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez all played well against Poland. He also confidently withdrew Angel Di Maria from the field when this player showed signs of muscle tension. "We have 26 people and replacements are always there," Scaloni said.

When asked if Lionel Messi was in the criteria for that replacement, Scaloni admitted the 35-year-old superstar was an exception. He said: "If Messi does not ask, I will not replace him."

Messi played aggressively against Poland, but missed the penalty in the 39th minute. The second time a PSG player missed a penalty at the World Cup, more than any other player in history. Messi previously missed in the draw with Iceland at the 2018 World Cup. On the opening day of the 2022 World Cup, he successfully shot but Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia.