Argentina vs Brazil: Selecao take on bitter rivals without 2 star players

Argentina vs Brazil: Selecao take on bitter rivals without 2 star players - November 16

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Argentina, Brazil, CONMEBOL, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

While top spot is already decided, both Argentina and Brazil will be nonetheless going for a win as the two very familiar foes meet up once again.

Preview: Argentina vs Brazil

Argentina vs Brazil is a clash that has fascinated fans all over the world for decades, such that it's referred to as the "Superclasico" in some quarters. The two South American titans will again renew acquaintances on Tuesday evening, after their prior match was called off and subsequently rescheduled. It'll be quite interesting to observe how things pan out, especially as Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in this summer's Copa America final, meaning that their arch rivals will be keen on getting some revenge here.

As things stand, the Selecao are through to the World Cup, after picking up 34 points from their 12 games so far. That's enough to ensure that they will be one of CONMEBOL's reps at next year's tournament. La Albiceleste, meanwhile, sit in a distant second, six points behind, but boast a very comfortable eight point lead over third-placed Ecuador; more important, Argentina have picked up 12 more points than fifth-placed Colombia, and with just a handful of games remaining, Lionel Scaloni's side really don't have to worry too much about having to secure their spot via the play-offs.

With 11 wins and one draw, Tite's squad have yet to lose a game so far in qualifiers, including a narrow 1-0 win over Colombia last time out. That run, however, will certainly come under threat on Tuesday, especially considering that Brazil will have to make do without the services of two key players: Neymar and Roberto Firmino.

The PSG ace suffered a thigh injury during a training session and now has headed back to Paris to start his rehab process, while Firmino has been out for quite some time due to a hamstring issue. Considering that Neymar has been directly involved in 15 goals (over half his team's total) in his last nine appearances for Brazil during World Cup qualifiers, his absence will definitely be a big blow for his manager and teammates as they seek to maintain their impressive run.

Argentina, meanwhile, are 26 games sans defeat across all competitions and have been given a major boost with the return of Lionel Messi. The team's skipper featured from the bench during their recent 1-0 win over Uruguay, and likely will feature in the starting XI. However, it remains to be seen if he will be able to complete a full 90 minutes as clearly the goal is to slowly get him back into the swing of things - especially with club football set to resume this weekend.

Will Brazil be able to maintain their excellent run, or will Argentina, on a strong run themselves, finally hand Tite's side their first loss in their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign?

Team news: Argentina vs Brazil

Argentina: Although he's struggled for form and fitness with his club, Lionel Messi has reportedly shaken off an injury and will feature for his national side on Tuesday evening. However, Scaloni will have to make do without versatile attacker Alejandro "Papu" Gomez due to a knee injury.

Brazil: The biggest absences for the visitors will be Neymar and Roberto Firmino, who have been ruled out with thigh and hamstring injuries respectively.