First verdicts at the 2018 World Cup, and above all the first "in or out" for a big. They are already qualified for the round of 1 – mathematically – Russia and Uruguay, and – de facto – Spain and Portugal, after the second matches of groups A and B. In truth, Iran, which yesterday put Spain in serious difficulty by losing only by 0-4 with a fortuitous goal by Diego Costa and some thrills created for De Gea, is still more than in the running, but he will necessarily need to win the last match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who are increasingly top scorer by scoring against Morocco of the World Cup, with XNUMX goals. Therefore, there shouldn't be too many problems for Spain and Portugal – at least on paper – even if it still remains to be seen who will pass as before.
The situation of Argentina in Sampaoli is quite different: the albiceleste is not the only big player to have botched the first game (Germany also failed, for example) but it is the first, in chronological order, to seriously risk the 'elimination. Tonight at 20 the match against Modric's Croatia is already decisive for Messi and his companions, still nailed to 1 point and with the Slavs who in case of victory would fly to 6 points, securing the first place in group D (which probably allows you to avoid France in the round of 1) and putting the South Americans in trouble. There is only one precedent between the two national teams: Argentina won 0-XNUMX.
This time, however, it will be tougher: after the flop of the first match, which finished 1-1 with Iceland with a penalty missed by Pulga, the pressure is all on Barcelona's number 10 and his teammates. Not that Argentina – Messi aside – is realistically a favorite for the final victory on paper, but a first-round elimination would be considered unacceptable, especially after coach Sampaoli has designed a tailor-made team for Leo Messi. First in the call-ups (he caused discussion, for example, the exclusion of Icardi), now also in the choices on the field: it seems that the coach is in fact oriented to change formation and to bet from the first minute on Cristian Pavón, a very welcome Boca Juniors striker to Messi. It should be Di Maria who pays for it, while in midfield Biglia could skip to give space to Acuna or Banega. Higuain still out. In that case, for the first time since time immemorial, the Albiceleste would take the field without even a player playing in the Italian league.
Croatia, on the other hand, which expelled Milan player Kalinic for disciplinary reasons, could field as many as 5 "Italians": Strinic, Badelj, Brozovic, Perisic and Manduzkic. Always leading the team is Real Madrid star Luka Modric.
