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Attendance: 68,551
Argentina national football team
World Cup | Quarter-Finals
Jul 5, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Belgium national football team

1-0

Higuain (8')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Argentina vs. Belgium

Sports Mole previews the World Cup quarter-final action between Argentina and Belgium at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia on Saturday.

Argentina take on Belgium on Saturday evening at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia, with both sides looking to turn rather tame starts at the tournament into something a little more comprehensive.

The Argentines have yet to really get going in Brazil and have largely relied on the exploits of Lionel Messi, arguably still not at his best, and the input of standout efforts during games in which Alejandro Sabella's men have struggled to break teams down.

This might not be that much of a concern to the South Americans, who will believe they can improve in the more important stages, as the team were boosted by a resolute performance when they overcame Switzerland 1-0 on Tuesday.

Belgium have suffered a lot of the same problems as their opponents, with the Europeans playing more like a side of star individuals than a closely-knit unit. Much like the Argentines, though, they do still have the quality of players who are capable of turning a game on its head in a flash.

Testament to this was the late introduction of Romelu Lukaku as Belgium broke American hearts with a 2-1 extra-time win on Tuesday night. The Chelsea striker changed the tide of the game with brute strength and great awareness to take the game away from the USA.

Neither side have any major injury concerns ahead of the game, but eyes will be on the fluctuating form of Angel di Maria, who rescued his side's fortunes against the Swiss.

As for Belgium, it is expected that Lukaku will make the starting XI as they look to pull together as a side going into the final stages.

Recent form

Argentina: WWWWWW

Belgium: WWWWWW

Possible starting lineups

Argentina: Romero; Zabaleta, Rojo, Mascherano, Fernandez, Garay, Lavezzi, Gago, Higuain, Messi, Di Maria

Belgium: Courtois; Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Witsel, van Buyten, Kompany, Mirallas, Fellaini, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Hazard

Sports Mole says: 2-1

See what the Sports Mole Sofa panel has to say about the encounter below.


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Germany's striker Miroslav Klose celebrates after scoring the team's fourth goal against Argentina during the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal football match on July 3, 2010
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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