World Cup Guide - Night 11
30 November, 23:00 Australia VS Denmark
November 30, 23:00 Tunisia VS France
1 December at 03:00 Poland vs Argentina
1 December, 03:00 Saudi Arabia vs Mexico
No one expected that the competition in Group C would be so fierce, and after two rounds, all four teams would have any hope of qualifying. Poland has 4 points from 1 win, 1 draw and 1 draw, Argentina has 3 points from 1 win and 1 loss with Saudi Arabia, and Mexico has 1 point from 1 draw and 1 loss.
Poland drew 0-0 with Mexico in the first round and beat Saudi Arabia by two goals in the second round, and Lewandowski scored the second goal of the tournament to fulfill his dream World Cup goal. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in their first game, an unbeaten run of 36 games, and started in "hard mode" from the second round - every subsequent game was the final. Against Mexico, Messi stepped up at a crucial moment to help the Pampas Eagles break the deadlock, and then assisted Enzo Fernandes to make the score 2-0, and Messi "survived" the team with a pass and a shot.
Not far from Messi is De Paul.
In the final round, Argentina will play Poland head-to-head, and whoever wins this match will advance to the knockout rounds. Messi and Lewandowski will also face off at the national team level, which will be even more interesting given the fierce heat of their rivalry for the Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year in the last two years, and Lewandowski's replacement of Messi's leadership at Barca.
For Messi, Poland coach Mikhnević said in his pre-match press conference: "For 18 years, everyone has been thinking about how to prevent Messi. We won't know the exact answer until he ends his career. "Even though Messi is 35 years old, it's still not easy to stop him for a whole game. What kind of deployment will Poland make, and will their defensive strategy be successful?
Poland's Lewandowski celebrates after scoring a goal on November 26. Xinhua News Agency
Similarly, for Argentina, how to prevent Lewandowski is also a big problem, Otamendi is old, although Lima is good at physical jams, but the defense of the aerial ball is a major weakness for him, and Romero's form does not seem to be in the best condition. It is bound to be a tough game, who will the scales of victory tilt and who will have the last laugh?
However, it is interesting to note that Poland coach Mikhnevic said before the game that he has been an Argentine fan since he was a child: "I have been cheering for Argentina since I was interested in football, they have great fans and players, there are good performances and bad performances in the World Cup, I always support Argentina, but not tomorrow. I put my feelings aside, even if Argentina can't qualify tomorrow, then I hope that in the end we will qualify. ”
But Argentina coach Scaloni chose to support Brazil among non-home teams: "I'm South American and I'm happy that Brazil has qualified, anyone who doesn't think so is wrong. If Argentina hadn't qualified, I would have preferred South America to win. I'm the number one fan of South American football and I have good friends in Brazil. They did a great job and won two races and I congratulate them. ”
Saudi Arabia head coach Renard commanded from the sidelines on November 26. Xinhua News Agency
Saudi Arabia's 2-1 upset defeat over Argentina in the first round shocked the world, but in the second round they swallowed a defeat by Eastern European powerhouses, and in the final round they faced Mexico, which had yet to win, and the clash between Asian and North American football was imminent. Mexico, as a regular in the round of 16 of the World Cup, has encountered huge difficulties in qualifying, and they have only one point and no goal after two rounds, and against Saudi Arabia, it will be a turning point for Mexico. Both teams have the hope of making the cut, do their best to resign themselves to their fate, and do everything they have a chance.
Nandu reporter Tao Xinlei Intern Wu Junjie