8′ Australia have been comfortably out-possessed in all three of their World Cup matches to this point, with Arnold’s facet extra targeted on work off the ball. It will probably be an analogous situation at the moment on the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, with Argentina’s midfield trio pulling the strings and controlling the tempo.

6′ Baccus comes throughout and offers Messi a shove, extending his elbow to ship the Argentina captain to the bottom. The referee has a phrase with Australia the winger earlier than giving the Albiceleste a free-kick simply contained in the opposition’s half.

4′ Gomez cuts inside and fires a cross in direction of the penalty spot that’s instantly lower out by Souttar. The Argentina gamers immediately protest for a handball on the sting of the 18-yard field, which is denied by match official Szymon Marciniak.

3′ Argentina are spending the opening minutes shifting the ball from proper to left, ensuring all people will get a contact as they inch slowly down the pitch. Australia are urgent intently, defending their half with nice spirit; an angle they’ll have to sustain for everything of the sport.

1′ Australia get the match underway from the kick-off!

Australia make a single alteration from the facet that beat Denmark 1-0 final trip, with Baccus changing Goodwin on the left wing.

Argentina make only one change from the XI that beat Poland 2-0 on Wednesday, with Gomez getting the beginning forward of Di Maria.

AUSTRALIA SUBS: Fran Karacic, Thomas Deng, Joel King, Marco Tilio, Andrew Redmayne, Ajdin Hrustic, Craig Goodwin, Awer Mabil, Jason Cummings, Bailey Wright, Garang Kuol, Nathaniel Atkinson, Jamie Maclaren, Cameron Devlin, Danny Vukovic.

AUSTRALIA XI (4-4-2): Mat Ryan; Milos Degenek, Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Aziz Behich; Mathew Leckie, Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Keanu Baccus; Riley McGree, Mitchell Duke.

ARGENTINA SUBS: Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios, German Pezzella, Guido Rodriguez, Franco Armani, Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, Angel Correa, Lisandro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Nicolas Tagliafico, Thiago Almada, Gonzalo Montiel, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Foyth.

ARGENTINA XI (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Otamendi, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina; Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul; Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Alejandro Gomez.

With quarter-hour to go earlier than kick-off, let’s check out how the 2 sides are lining up – beginning with Argentina!

Australia adopted up a 4-1 loss to France within the first match of Group D in unimaginable vogue, stringing collectively a pair of 1-0 victories over Tunisia and Denmark. The two wins put Graham Arnold’s facet into the final 16 of the World Cup for the second time in Socceroos historical past, after 2006, whereas a historic consequence in opposition to Argentina would ship them into the quarter-finals for the primary time ever.

After beginning their World Cup marketing campaign on shaky footing – dropping 2-1 to Saudi Arabia – Argentina have rounded properly into type, registering back-to-back 2-0 wins in opposition to Mexico and Poland. Six factors proved to be sufficient to win Group C, organising a uncommon assembly with Australia in what’s a landmark match for captain Lionel Messi – his 1,000th recreation for membership and nation!

Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the World Cup last-16 conflict between Argentina and Australia!