Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella yesterday rejected suggestions that his team are overly dependent on Lionel Messi by emphasising the extent to which he gets help from his team-mates.
“Any team that has a player like Messi will greatly depend on him,” said Sabella, whose side face Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals in Brasilia today.
“But I believe that what he’s doing is the work of the entire team. He’s the best player in the world, but he’s part of a team.”
Messi helped to settle Argentina’s last-16 tie against Switzerland with an extra-time assist for Angel Di Maria, but Sabella was eager to highlight the work of substitute Rodrigo Palacio in the build-up.
“The goal the other day came from a ball won by Palacio – a forward playing as a midfielder,” Sabella said. “He gave it to Messi and Messi received it in a good position, which allowed him to pass the ball to Di Maria.”
With four goals and two assists to his name, Messi has been directly responsible for six of the seven goals that Argentina have scored in Brazil.
Sabella, though, feels it is unfair to suggest Argentina are over-reliant on the Barcelona superstar, who failed to score at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
“Four years ago he was criticised. Now they say we depend on Messi too much,” said Sabella. “It’s not easy.”
All of Argentina’s four games to date have been won by a narrow onegoal margin and Sabella accepts that his players will have to raise their game against Marc Wilmots’ dangerous Belgium.
“We have reasons for things, extenuating factors. But we have not reached the level we wanted to reach,” he told a pre-match press conference at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium.
“We’re looking for an improvement. But we’ve seen that this is a very difficult tournament with very even matches.”
TEAM NEWS
Argentina
Striker Sergio Aguero has returned to training but is not expected to replace Ezequiel Lavezzi. In defence, Jose Maria Basanta should come in at left-back for the suspended Marcos Rojo. Martin Demichelis and Lucas Biglia could also start.
Belgium
Defenders Vincent Kompany and Toby Alderweireld are expected to shake off knocks. Divock Origi should hold on to his starting spot ahead of Romelu Lukaku. Dries Mertens and Marouane Fellaini may return to the substitutes’ bench.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Argentina (4-2-3-1): Romero; Zabaleta, Garay, Demichelis, Basanta; Mascherano, Biglia; Lavezzi, Messi, Di Maria; Higuain
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alderweireld, Van Buyten, Kompany, Vertonghen; Dembele, Witsel; Mirallas, De Bruyne, Hazard; Lukaku
KEY PLAYERS
Argentina – Gonzalo Higuain
Yet to replicate lethal form that saw his first season at Napoli be branded a big success. Needs to show more intelligent movement and prove he can operate on same wavelength as his team-mates.
Belgium – Kevin De Bruyne
Was Belgium’s best player in qualifying, and it has been no different in Brazil. Provides craft and guile, every display making Chelsea’s decision to sell him to Wolfsburg seem premature.
SPORT360 PREDICTION
Belgium are a better team, but their opponents boast the event’s defining player in Lionel Messi. Argentina 2-1 Belgium
