Bolivia-Argentina. Lionel Messi must take care of himself
Nikolay Pavlov September 11, 2023, 20:15 Moscow time
The Inter Miami footballer trained separately, and in the last game he asked for a replacement. In such a simple game he could have rested.
On September 12, the match of the 2nd day of the 2026 World Cup qualification Bolivia – Argentina will be played. Starts at 23:00 Moscow time. The experts have already made a prediction, they consider the guests as favorites: you can bet that the Argentinians will win with odds of 1.60. The Bolivians’ chances are estimated at 5.30. The odds of a tie are 4.10.
Betting house odds for the 2026 World Cup qualification match Bolivia – Argentina September 12, 2023
Bookmakers believe that the Bolivia-Argentina match will not be productive: the total of more than 2.5 goals is equivalent to 2.03 and the total of less than 2.5 goals is equivalent to 1.82. If the Argentines score, the odds will be 1.12. The Bolivian goal is available at a rate of 1.58. They offer to bet on “both will score” for 1.83.
Analysis and forecast for the match on the 2nd day of the Bolivia 2026 World Cup Qualifiers – Argentina (09/12/2023)
South America is not far behind Europe in terms of intensity of competition in national team matches. The teams have already opened qualification for the 2026 World Cup, achieving several sensational results. The main intrigue of the second round is the match between Argentina and Bolivia. The referee’s initial whistle will sound at 21:45 Moscow time.
Messi remained loyal to the national team and agreed to participate in the 2026 World Cup squad. The Inter Miami forward got into great shape in September, as he demonstrated in the first round match. Argentina beat Ecuador 1-0 at home, with Lionel scoring the winning goal.
The Argentine captain said in an interview that he felt greater motivation from each of his opponents. Beating Argentina is the goal of any national team and after the team’s victory in the 2022 World Cup, the spirit has definitely increased.
Scaloni came out in the starting eleven for the match with Ecuador, pronounced forwards: Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás González, and Messi usually acted from the depths. The rival built an impregnable defense line and until the 78th minute he repelled all the attacks of the current world champions. Then Messi took advantage of his scoring opportunity and gave the team the three points.
The Argentine leader, shortly before the referee’s final whistle, asked for a replacement and caused a wave of panic among the fans. They decided that his idol was injured. According to the coach of the national team, Lionel felt sick and tired. He also added that Messi will fly to the match against Bolivia, but he trained according to an individual program.
The Argentine and Bolivian leaders are monitoring the health of the leader. You can understand them: in the first round they lost five goals to the Brazilians and they would not like to continue with the nightmare. The former partner of world champion Neymar scored a double, so Gustavo Costas’ pupils expect problems from Messi.
It is enough to study the history of the rivals’ last head-to-head confrontations to understand the validity of the Bolivians’ fears. They have lost seven of their last eight matches to the defending world champions by a total score of 2:21! And on September 10, 2021, Messi scored a hat-trick against the Greens and Argentina achieved a 3-0 victory.
The hosts’ offensive line is unlikely to cause problems for Scaloni’s coaching staff. In the last game, Bolivia fielded a forward, Marcelo Moreno. The 36-year-old’s best years are behind him, and Christian Romero and Nicolás Otamendi will easily cope with his tutelage.
The Argentine leaders are in excellent shape and represent a clear threat to their opponents. Martínez usually scores goals in his matches with Inter. Even the hypothetical absence of Messi will not prevent the current world champions from adding the three points. We recommend paying attention to Argentina’s victory with a handicap (-1) with an odds of 1.95.
Prediction and bets for the EURO 2024 match Bolivia – Argentina September 12, 2023
Bolivia is experiencing a complex situation against the Argentines, which is clearly confirmed in the results of direct confrontations. The defeat that the Brazilians inflicted on the “greens” revealed systemic problems in the construction of Bolivia’s positional defense. It is not a difficult task for the world champions to win by two goals, even if Messi is allowed to rest.
Tender: Victory for Argentina with a handicap (-1) at 2.03.
