World Cup Predictions: Argentina and Netherlands to take it to extra time

Argentina and Netherlands will go head to head on Friday for a place in the last four of the World Cup. (Photo credit: FIFA) Netherlands vs ...

Argentina and Netherlands will go head to head on Friday for a place in the last four of the World Cup. (Photo credit: FIFA)

Netherlands vs Argentina

Lusail Stadium. Qatar

8:00pm

The second match of the day is another blockbuster between Argentina and the Netherlands, a repeat of the 2014 semifinals where Argentina powered past the Dutch side, managed by the same man at the helm for the Oranje, Louis Van Gaal.

Argentina started off the tournament on a false note, losing shockingly to Saudi Arabia 2-1 before overpowering Mexico and Poland to book a date against Australia in the round of 16; another Lionel Messi masterclass saw them past the Aussies and now they have to negotiate a semifinal ticket.

The Netherlands are still without a defeat in the tournament but the game against Argentina will be a different ball game; Van Gaal in his lively presser ahead of the clash with Argentina hinted at how prepared his team is but he won’t divulge plans.

There have been so many talks about how Virgil Van Dijk can stop Lionel Messi or how one can outsmart the other and it’s time for all of them to show workings on the pitch; Argentina stopped Holland from making the final in 2014, the reverse was the case in the quarter-finals of the 1998 edition.

Van Gaal took some time to address the public attack on him by Argentine winger Angel Di Maria who had a failed stint at Old Trafford in the 2014/15 season while Van Gaal was the manager, calling the Dutch coach his worst ever.

Van Gaal was entertaining in his response, he spoke about how Di Maria had personal and family issues and wouldn’t concentrate on football. He was a little sad that Di Maria feels that way about him but nothing personal against the winger.

Angel Di Maria is an injury doubt against the Netherlands and he would have to pass a late fitness test to make the game. The Netherlands will have its moment in the game but Argentina is the favorite to advance. Both sides will go for it and there won’t be any margins for errors.

Verdict: Both teams to score