Argentina Ready to Brush Aside Cape Verde in World Cup Round of 32

Argentina's quest for back-to-back World Cup glory continues this Friday when they take on Cape Verde in a last-32 encounter that looks decidedly one-sided on paper.

The South American outfit stormed through Group J without breaking a sweat, collecting maximum points from their opening two matches against Algeria and Austria before rotating heavily for their final group fixture against Jordan. That clinical efficiency means they'll head into this Miami showdown with their big guns refreshed and ready to fire.

Cape Verde, meanwhile, have been the feel-good story of this tournament. The debutants defied all expectations by emerging from their group in second place, courtesy of draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That goalless stalemate with the Spanish was the stuff of folklore, but facing Argentina represents an entirely different proposition.

Team News

Expect a wholesale reshuffle from the Argentine perspective. Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Thiago Almada, Lisandro Martinez, Nahuel Molina and Facundo Medina all return to the starting XI after being rested or limited against Jordan.

Centre-back Cristian Romero missed that final group game with a minor knee issue but has been training normally and should slot back in alongside Martinez at the heart of defence.

Cape Verde will continue with Vozinha in goal following his seven-save masterclass in the Spanish draw. Left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral returns from a one-match suspension, though midfielder Telmo Arcanjo remains touch-and-go with a hamstring problem – Deroy Duarte standing by if needed. Winger Jovane Cabral hasn't featured since sustaining an injury in their opening fixture and faces another race against time.

The Betting

The odds tell their own story. Argentina are prohibitive 2/11 favourites to win inside 90 minutes, whilst Cape Verde sit at a distant 22/1. In the outright tournament betting, the South Americans are second choices behind France at 9/2, with the Africans a whopping 1000/1 outsiders.

The Prediction

Cape Verde's defensive discipline and compact shape nearly produced something miraculous against Spain, but repeating that feat against a side who've now scored in 12 consecutive World Cup matches feels like asking for miracles. Messi, who's claimed six of Argentina's eight goals this tournament, should feel particularly dangerous here – the 39-year-old plays his club football in Miami and knows the surroundings well.

The Argentine captain netted a hat-trick against Algeria, a brace against Austria and a late free-kick against Jordan. He's priced at 11/5 to open the scoring, and there's every reason to expect him to do so in the first half to settle any lingering nerves.

Cape Verde have mustered just two goals across the tournament, one of which came courtesy of Fernando Muslera's blunder for Uruguay. They won't receive such generosity here. An Argentina victory to nil looks the smart play at 4/7, with the Half-Time Full-Time market also offering value at 4/7.

Kick-off Details

The match gets underway at 11pm BST (6pm local time) on Friday, 3 July at Miami Stadium. ITV1 will broadcast proceedings in the UK from 10.15pm, with BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT providing full commentary coverage.

The winner advances to face either Australia or Egypt in the last 16.