Line Up Argentina vs Portugal Preview-Prediction Starting Eleven
Posted by admin on Wednesday, 9 February 2011
The Starting Argentina vs Portugal Line Up Preview.
This is the preview and starting line up and starting eleven prediction of Argentina vs Portugal match. The last time Argentina played a team from Iberia was in September when they took on European and world champions Spain in Buenos Aires. On that occasion the Albiceleste ran out 4-1 winners in what was a supreme performance and one that shattered Spain right to the core.
Since then, though, it's been mixed luck for the former world champions as they were defeated 1-0 by Japan in another international friendly in Saitama but got the better of Brazil in Doha in November, thanks to a scintillating Lionel Messi late goal.
Argentina
Sergio Batista has already announced his starting line-up. In a 4-3-3 formation, Sergio Romero will start in goal and Javier Zanetti, Nicolas Burdisso, Gabriel Milito and Marcos Rojo will form the back-four, although Ezequiel Garay is on standby as Milito's replacement since the Barcelona centre-back suffered a knock during Tuesday's training.
Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano and Esteban Cambiasso will form a flat midfield trio and Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria are set to commence in attack that will have width and finese as well as pace.
Striker Diego Milito is injured and so is Gonzalo Higuain, while Tevez and Demichelis were left out of it altogether.
Portugal
Paulo Bento could deploy a formation that will have Eduardo in goal and Jose Bosingwa, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Costa and Fabio Coentrao in defence, although Rolando could also slot in place of Costa. Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho are injured.
In midfield and attack it could either be a flat-three of Carlos Martins, Raul Meireles and Joao Moutinho with Nani, Hugo Almeida and Ronaldo deployed as the three forwards, or Almeida playing as the lone striker upfront with Nani and Ronaldo behind him as the creative minds.
Ricardo Quaresma is back in form after a good season with Turkish giants Besiktas and there are whispers that he could even make the starting xi against Argentina.
