Throughout recent competitions on international level Argentina have lost 3 finals, and the one in previous World Cup was a really a tough one to take.

SSampaoli has been brought in to install back their winning mentality, but he still hasn’t found the first XI, as well as formation to play in. In one word, Argentina is really an unpredictable team. Sampaoli has been given quite a headache with the loss of Lanzini, who was great in the role that was given to him.

1. They are expected to line up in dynamic 4-2-3-1 formation, with Messi having free role to roam between the lines.
   Lanzini’s role was the most important, as he was well synchronized with Messi and showed great level of tactical intelligennce on when to go inside and when to go wide. They look to retain possession and shift their attacks towards left flank, where Di Maria links up well with Lo Celso and Tagliafico. This allows Messi to pair up with Higuain/Aguero up front.
2. Defensively they form the 4-4-2 structure, with Meza/Pavon defending on the right flank. Argentina proved to have big issues out of possession, and one of the team’s weaknesses is lack of ability to press high up the field in a synchronized and compact manner.

This resulted in almost easy penetration of their lines and quick acess to their half of the field. They could suffer from cut-back crosses, especially in transition, due to lack of support from midfield.