Argentina take on Italy on Friday, March 23 at Etihad Stadium in Manchester. Here’s what to know before you watch.
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With less than three months before Argentina embark on their quest to win a third World Cup, the Albiceleste face a showdown with Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium, one of several big-time friendlies being played during this month’s international window.
The clash pits two sides at very different points of their histories — Argentina are trying to get to another final after losing to Germany in 2014, while the Azzurri are still licking their wounds after failing to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.
Argentina, currently fourth in the latest FIFA rankings, will again need Lionel Messi to inspire them, like he has numerous times in the past, but manager Jorge Sampaoli needs the supporting cast to also do a lot of the work. Whether Sampaoli can get out of strikers Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria what these players regularly do on the club level every week — with Juventus and PSG, respectively — remains to be seen.
For Sampaoli, the match against Italy, and upcoming friendly versus Spain on March 27 in Madrid, is a chance to test tactics and formations following a nail-biting qualifying campaign that almost saw the Albiceleste miss out on Russia 2018. It’s the first time Argentina have been able to come together this year.
Argentina features several Premier League stars, including the goalkeeping duo of Willy Caballero (Chelsea) and Sergio Romero (Manchester United), as well as defender Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton).
Messi, who joined his teammates in Manchester on Wednesday, said in a rare TV interview on America TV’s La Cornisa that he’s changed his game to be more of a team player.
“Before I got the ball and did my own game,” he told the Argentine-based network this past Sunday. “Now I try to play for the team. That the ball goes via me more and I don’t try and finish things off as much.”
Sampaoli hopes Messi’s teammates can keep up with the Barcelona star. In addition to a healthy crop of European-based players like Higuain and Di Maria, Sampaoli has also called up five domestic-based players to his selection, including defender Fabricio Bustos (Independiente), midfielders Pablo Perez (Boca Juniors) and Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), as well as strikers Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors) and Lautaro Martinez (Racing Club).
Sampaoli’s men have been training in Manchester since Monday, braving the very cold conditions of the past few days. The temperature at kickoff is expected to be in the low 40s with a chance of rain.
Italy, on the other hand, will feature some familiar faces. Interim manager Luigi Di Biagio, who coaches the country’s Under-21 side, has called up veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, along with strikers Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile. The match is their first since losing to Sweden 1-0 on aggregate to miss their first World Cup finals in 60 years. As a result, Italy slipped to 14th in this month’s FIFA rankings.
Buffon, who had announced he was no longer going to play for Italy after the shocking defeat, has 175 caps with the Azzurri. He told reporters Sunday that he chose to play again for the national team in tribute to Fiorentina defender Davide Astori, who died suddenly last month just hours before a game.
“He’s a reason why I’m here,” Buffon said. “I wanted to be present and respond to this feeling.”
Buffon and Higuain are teammates at Juventus, one of several tasty subplots to this game. In addition, there are a total of three players, including Federico Fazio (AS Roma) and Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), who play in Serie A.
On the other hand, two stars from Italy’s top flight, Paulo Dybala of Juventus and Mauro Icardi of Inter Milan, were snubbed by Sampaoli. Also missing from Argentina’s lineup is Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero due to a knee injury.
Meanwhile, missing from Italy’s roster is striker Mario Balotelli, who has scored 22 goals in 30 appearances for Nice in France this season. He wasn’t called up for the game and hasn’t been part of the national team since the 2014 World Cup. Also not on the roster is Sebastian Giovonco of MLS side Toronto FC, a player many argued should have been part of the squad during qualifying who has been widely considered the best player in MLS history.
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The friendly between Argentina and Italy will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. Live streaming is also available on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscription, either online or through their app.
Date: Friday, March 23
Start time: 3:35 p.m. ET
Location: Manchester, England
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo.TV
Italy hold the an all-time edge against Argentina with a 6-4-4 record. In the last meeting between both sides in August 2013 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Argentina won 2-1.