Prepare for the match between Argentina and Austria with our comprehensive team guide. Under the leadership of Ralf Rangnick, known for his high-pressing tactics, Austria is eager to make their mark in their first World Cup appearance since 1998, following their successful qualification for three consecutive European Championships.
As we await kick-off, I’d like to share the official anthem for the Austria World Cup team, a catchy tune that my colleague Daniel Harris introduced to me. It’s undeniably a great track.
Argentina’s lineup features: E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Medina; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernández, Almada; Messi, Lautaro Martínez.
The substitutes include: Musso, Senesi, Tagliafico, Montiel, Paredes, Barco, Álvarez, Lo Celso, Rulli, Palacios, González, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez.
For Austria, the starting eleven is: A. Schlager; Posch, Danso, Alaba, Laimer; Seiwald, X. Schlager; Schmid, Sabitzer, Wanner; Gregoritsch.
The bench includes: Affengruber, Arnautović, Grillitsch, Wiegele, Pentz, Kalajdzic, Lienhart, Mwene, Chukwuemeka, Ljubicic, Wimmer, Prass, Friedl, Svoboda, Schopf.
Austria’s historical rivalry with Germany suggests they may not mind if Messi scores today, as it would allow him to surpass Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record. Interestingly, many players in this Austrian squad are affiliated with the German Bundesliga, reflecting a strong German influence.
Despite conceding a preventable goal to first-time tournament participants Jordan, Austria showcased solid performance in their initial group match. However, a loss today would complicate their chances, making the concluding game against Algeria crucial for potential qualification to the knockout stages. The other two teams in Group J will face off a few hours later in San Francisco.
Welcome to Monday’s opening match of World Cup action. Defending champions Argentina are in Texas to clash with Ralf Rangnick’s Austria in what is likely to determine the leader of Group J. All eyes are on Argentina and Lionel Messi, following his remarkable hat-trick in the opening game against Algeria last week. A single goal today would make him the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Messi has faced a challenging couple of weeks, as his family revealed last Thursday that his father, Jorge, is receiving treatment for an undisclosed condition. An Argentinian television host recently resigned after erroneously announcing Jorge’s death. Although Messi showed emotional moments during the opener in Kansas City, he now has the opportunity to create more history in Dallas today.
Austria boasts its own legendary forward in Marko Arnautovic, who broke the scoring drought 112 minutes into their first match, securing a 3-1 victory over Jordan. After entering the game at half-time, the 37-year-old had a goal disallowed and contributed to an own goal before successfully converting a penalty to clinch the win.
The match is set to kick off at noon local time, 6 p.m. BST, and 3 a.m. AEST. Feel free to reach out to me via email.
