United Arab Emirates vs Argentina

Argentina’s ultimate prep game ahead of their bid to lift the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time in the 21st century pits them against the United Arab Emirates at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.

Having failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the eighth time on the trot, the United Arab Emirates are unlikely to be worthy sparring partners in this fixture, especially given their troublesome spell of form. Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men have lost three straight internationals via an aggregate score of 7-1 in the run-up to this showdown, casting doubt on their ability to fend off the likes of Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez. Scoring has been another glaring issue for the ‘Sons of Zayed,’ as they’ve netted under 1.5 goals in each of their last seven outings, including back-to-back scoring blanks preceding this contest.

In stark contrast to the UAE’s abysmal run of form, Argentina take this trip on the back of a record-breaking 33-match unbeaten streak, stretching back to the 2019 Copa America semi-final defeat at the hands of Brazil. Dubbed the top candidates to cover themselves with World Cup glory, ‘La Albiceleste’ have won their last four internationals by 3+ goals ‘to nil,’ highlighting their determination to win the Qatar showpiece. Except for a 1-1 draw at Ecuador when they already had a World Cup berth in the bag, Lionel Scaloni’s men have won all seven remaining matches in 2022, including six without conceding a single goal. But with three of Argentina’s last five away games containing under 2.5 goals and star members likely to be careful not to pick up injuries, a low-scoring affair could be the order of the day.