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Lionel Messi, 35, has won every accolade in the football world except a World Cup trophy. The Netherlands stands in Messi’s way.
Despite being one of the greatest of all time, Messi had yet to score in a World Cup knockout round. That changed when Messi scored a beautiful goal versus Australia. Messi looks to keep up this hot streak against the Netherlands.
This tournament is Messi’s last World Cup, and his destiny is to win one.
This Dutch squad is the most skilled side Argentina has played to date. Depay, van Dijk and de Jong look to be the spoilers in this fairy-tale run for Messi and Argentina.
Netherlands vs. Argentina Prediction
Argentina should control this quarterfinals game because this is how the Netherlands wants it to play out. A less technical team won the positional battle against the Netherlands in the last round.
We expect Argentina to win the possession battle in this matchup, even though they have a more skilled side. The Netherlands wants to hit Argentina on the counter with their pacey players in front.
Neither team has any injury concerns going into this quarterfinals matchup. Both teams should be at full strength and ready to go.
The world’s opinion of this Netherlands team has changed. The Dutch had a dominant victory against the United States, reminding the world that this team has the pieces to make a run for the Cup.
The Netherlands is now a sneaky team to reach the final and could cause an upset or two on the way there. On the flip side, Argentina has been the favorite since the start, and they had a shaky closeout versus Australia, a team they should have beaten by more than two goals.
Game Prediction
Many Netherlands players, including Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo, like to get out in the open on the counter-attack. Once the defense gets the ball, they kick it directly ahead to make Depay and Gakpo get it.
This style of play ended up being the United States’ kryptonite and easily gave the Netherlands the win. This tactic will cause the Argentinian defense many problems, as Depay is now healthy and scoring. Any mistake could be crucial with this much on the line. This Argentinian side will do anything to see their beloved leader win the World Cup. Look for Argentina to make plays like their life depends on it.
This matchup could end in a draw, resulting in penalty kicks to decide the winner. Look for either Depay or Messi to have some brilliance to tie this game up.
Betting Matchup Preview
More than 20 million American adults planned to bet on the 2022 World Cup, according to a recent survey from the American Gaming Association, the sports betting industry’s top trade group. The best soccer betting sites are taking a large share of that action.
Game Details
- Who: Netherlands vs. Argentina (2022 World Cup)
- When: Friday, Dec. 9, 2022
- Time: 8:00 p.m.
- Where: Lusail Stadium (Lusail, Qatar)
Betting Odds Summary
- Match Result: Netherlands (+250), Tie (+220), Argentina (+120)
- Both Teams to Score: Yes (+100), No (-145)
- Total: Over/Under 2.5 Goals in Regular Time 2.5 (+125/-175)