The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Argentina looking to overtake Croatia
Argentina defender Gabriel Mercado wants his side to keep their destiny in their own hands by beating Croatia tonight.
A disappointing 1-1 draw with Iceland, coupled with Croatia’s 2-0 win against Nigeria in the opening matches has left Argentina with it all to do in the remaining two matches.
Argentina defender Mercado said: “This is a vital game. We need to win to go ahead of them.
“We know that Croatia has Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic who have good control – and they have other good players.”
Coach Jorge Sampaoli is reportedly considering abandoning the 4-2-3-1 formation used against Iceland in favour of a 3-4-3 system in the hope of getting the most of his talisman Lionel Messi.
Boca Juniors winger Cristian Pavon could start his first competitive game, while Mercado and Marcos Acuna may also earn recalls.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic knows Messi is key but believes a strong team performance is essential to restricting the Barca man’s impact.
Dalic said: “There is no perfect way to stop Lionel Messi, he is the greatest player in the world.
“But while one excellent player can make a great result, a great team does the job much better.”
Croatia, who would reach the last 16 with a win, are without Nikola Kalinic.
The striker was sent home after refusing to come on as a substitute against Nigeria, citing a back problem.
Dalic opted not to field a recognised defensive midfielder in their opening game, and must decide whether to stick with that adventurous line-up.