Mexico and Saudi Arabia will have a final option to make it to the next round in their final group stage game set to be played on Wednesday. Both of these teams have had surprising results in this competition, but there are some shades of grey to that statement that we will describe in the next few paragraphs.
Saudi Arabia enter this game with three points to their name, following their win against Argentina and their 2-0 loss to Poland. It has been a historic performance for the Arabian side, as they had not won a single World Cup match since 1994 and they have never been as close to reaching the next round as they are up to this point in the competition.
On the other hand, Mexico have experienced their worst FIFA World Cup appearance since 1978, when they left the competition after three losses in their group. Now, Gerardo Martino's men make it to this match with only one point to their name and with the need to win this clash if they want to keep their streak of seven straight appearances in the Round of 16 alive.
Right now, Group C of the competition is led by Poland with four points, followed by Argentina with three and a +1 in their goal difference. Saudi Arabia are third with three points and -1 in their goal difference, and Mexico are fourth with only one point and with a -2 in their goalscoring tally. With these numbers in mind, let us walk you through what each team needs to make it to the next round.
Saudi Arabia will make it to the next round with a win regardless of what happens in the other game, as they would top both teams in case they draw and an eventual loser if either Poland or Argentina come out on top. In the event of a draw, Saudi Arabia would need Poland to defeat Argentina to reach the next stage.
As for Mexico, it all comes down to a magical number: four goals. If El Tri manage to score four times against Saudi Arabia, then they will make it to the next round regardless of what happens in the other match. A win with a tighter margin would see Mexico waiting for the end result of the other match, as they need to surpass Poland's goal difference. The best example would be this one: if Mexico win one-nil and Poland lose 3-0 against Argentina, Mexico would be through. Drawing or losing against Saudi Arabia is out of the question, as it would eliminate El Tri's chances of making it to the next round.
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico - Team news
The Saudi Arabian side make it to this game with everything to play for and with the first real chance of making it to the next round since 1994. The Green Falcons will build their hopes on Salem Al-Dawsari and on Saleh Al Shehri, the two players who scored against Argentina in their first match of the competition. The Arabian side will have to prepare for this game without three key men: Yasir Al Shahrani will take some time to recover from his fractured jaw, and he will be joined in the team's medical unit by Salman Al Faraj, who also came off injured against Argentina. The other absence for the Saudis will be that of Abdulelah Al Malki, who picked up a second yellow card against Poland and will only return to the team if they are able to progress to the Round of 16.
On the other hand, Mexico is not only looking for their first win of the competition, they will also be looking for their first goal. To do that, coach Martino will be eager to see the best versions of Hirving Lozano, Alexis Vega, and even Raúl Jiménez if he ends up playing the game. Other than finding the back of the net, the main concern for Gerardo Martino in terms of potential absences will be that of captain Andrés Guardado, who left the game against Argentina after picking up a knock in the first half and could have played his final match for El Tri in this World Cup.
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico - Head-to-head
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This will be the sixth game between these teams and first in a FIFA World Cup for Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
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The most recent match between these teams ended in a 5-1 win for El Tri back in 1999.
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Saudi Arabia have never been able to beat Mexico in their past five meetings.
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Mexico's record against Saudi Arabia includes four wins and one draw.
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Mexico has outscored Saudi Arabia 14-2 in their past five games.
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This will be Gerardo Martino's first-ever match against Saudi Arabia.
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Coach Herve Renard will face Mexico for the second time in his career. His previous game against El Tri ended in a one-nil win for Mexico.
Broadcast info: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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