- Team form: Argentina have won 9 of their last 10 matches in all competitions and enter Miami on a 5-game winning streak.
- Recent results: Cape Verde are unbeaten in 5 FIFA World Cup Group H matches, but have won only 4 of their last 10 in all competitions (D3, L3).
- Scoring form: Argentina have scored 13 goals in their last 5 games across all competitions and have conceded just 1 goal in their last 7 home matches.
Scale of the challenge facing Cape Verde
Match odds and prediction
Argentina are the 1.18 favourites here and Cape Verde are a staggering 2.58 underdogs for this FIFA World Cup knockout game at Miami Stadium. The draw odds, at 8.1, are just about palatable but we're still inclined to support the champions to get the job done and go for Under 2.5 goals and BTTS-No at 2.37 and 1.45 respectively for our main selections.
This will be the first ever meeting between these nations, but the David vs Goliath story is hard to ignore as the reigning champions take on the tournament debutants. It should be a one-sided game and that looks likely to be reflected in the score, but Cape Verde are a good unit and should be able to keep Argentina from running riot.
Tactical setup
Lionel Scaloni has fashioned a team that has played in a similar fashion to his previous Argentina sides since taking over in 2018. They're a possession team that press as a unit and can overload opponents with their 4-3-3 system and rotate into a 4-2-3-1 system to add even more depth when needed.
Cape Verde are a well-disciplined unit
Bubista has had a slightly less distinguished record, but he has certainly done a fine job with Cape Verde since taking charge in 2020. They are a compact, disciplined side who will sit deep, stay organised and try to counter-attack.
They have done a decent job defensively in this tournament and have actually kept Spain and Saudi Arabia at bay in two of their last 3 Group H games. They've done so with the occasional foray forward, but will have to be careful not to get too greedy here as Argentina can really turn the screw when the tempo increases.
Argentina have been ruthless so far
Argentina have been impressive in their two FIFA World Cup games to date, beating Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0. They've conceded zero and scored five, while their supporting cast have been on fire, which should help take some pressure away from Lionel Messi who has four goals in his last five games and always seems to have that knack of opening up games.
We can see Argentina having a bit of a tough time against a disciplined Cape Verde team, but their quality and depth should be enough to see them through and they should eventually be able to break the resistance of their opponents. Cape Verde will play deep, try to keep things tight and hope to catch Argentina out on the counterattack, but they can't afford to be too adventurous. They've shown they can do a decent defensive job, but we think it'll be another one-way game for the tournament favorites.
Don't expect many goals
Cape Verde have done a good job in preventing opponents from breaking them down, but they are a bit fragile at the back, averaging 2.25 goals against on their travels this campaign.
- But they've also netted 1.25 goals per game, so we think that they can keep this game respectable and that's where the value lies.
- Kevin Lenini, Cape Verde's talisman with two of his six goals coming in the last five, will be crucial as they will need a goal if they want to turn the tide.
- Argentina are a better side, so it's hard to see them winning without conceding, but Cape Verde are well-disciplined and can frustrate for long spells.
