football
Ind Cup Football: Sheikh Russel KC to play Uttar Baridhara in opener Saturday
Sheikh Russel KC will play Uttar Baridhara Club in the opening match of the season’s curtain raiser soccer meet, the Independence Cup Football’ 21, beginning on Saturday at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur here.
The match will kick off at 4 pm. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will face Bangladesh Air Force at 6 pm in the day‘s other opening fixture at the same venue.
The following day (Sunday), Mohammedan SC will encounter Muktijoddha Sangsad KC at 4 pm while Dhaka Abahani Ltd will meet newcomers Swadhinata KS at 5:45 pm at the same venue.
READ: Four Nations Football: Double strike by Waseem guides Sri Lanka to final at cost of Bangladesh
A total 15 teams, including 12 premier division league clubs and three services teams, split into four groups, are initially taking part in league basis matches from November 27 to December 8.
Participating teams:
Group A– Dhaka Abahani Limited, Rahmatganj MFS and Swadhinata KS
Group B: Sheikh Jamal DC, Sheikh Russel KC, Uttar Baridhara Club and Bangladesh Air Force.
READ: Four Nations Football: Hosts Sri Lanka stand between Bangladesh and final
Group C: Saif Sporting Club, Mohammedan SC, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC and Bangladesh Army.
Group D: Bashundhara Kings, Chittagong Abahani Ltd, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Navy
Later, four group champions and runners-up teams will play in the quarterfinals on December 10 and 12. The two semifinals will be held on December 12 while the final match on December 18.
Man City vs PSG: Champions League match preview, team news, prediction
When Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain meet at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday (November 25) at 2 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time), both teams will have a chance to advance to the Round of 16 in the Champions League 2021-2022 season. The winner of the Man City vs PSG match will proceed to the first knockout round of the competition. Manchester City now lead the standings with nine points, followed by PSG, Club Brugge, and RB Leipzig. This is an important clash in group A in this context. Let's take a look at this match's preview and team news.
Man City vs PSG: Potential Team Lineups
The biggest news in Man City's camp is that star player Kevin de Bruyne has been diagnosed with covid-19 and will miss the match against PSG. Spanish forward Ferran Torres will also miss the match due to a foot injury he acquired during the Nations League. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is also in doubt after suffering an injury during the international break.
Predicted Playing XI (Man City):
Ederson Moraes (GK), Kyle Walker (RB), John Stones (CB), Ruben Dias (CB), Joao Cancelo (LB), Rodri (DM), Bernardo Silva (CM), Ilkay Gundogan (CM), Riyad Mahrez (RW), Phil Foden (LW), Gabriel Jesus (FW).
Read A year to go, Qatar World Cup still feels heat of scrutiny
Sergio Ramos is still out with an injury, but he has lately started full training, which is good news for PSG. However, Ramos is unlikely to participate in this match. The Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is suffering from gastroenteritis, but he is expected to be healthy in time. Injuries have also struck Julian Draxler and Rafinha. As a result, they might not be available for this game. Defender Presnel Kimpembe will also miss the trip due to injury.
Predicted Playing XI (PSG):
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Achraf Hakimi (RB), Marquinhos (CB), Thilo Kehrer (CB), Juan Bernat (LB), Marco Verratti (CM), Leandro Paredes (CM), Ander Herrera (CM), Lionel Messi (RW), Neymar (LW), Kylian Mbappe (FW).
Read ICC Women’s World Cup: Bangladesh to play USA Tuesday
Head-to-Head: Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
Both teams have met six times, with Manchester City maintaining a three-win advantage in the head-to-head battle. PSG have won two games thus far, with one match ending in a stalemate.
Manchester City have won all of their games against PSG in the UEFA Champions League, while PSG have won a Europa League match and the first-leg meeting between these two sides in the Champions League 2021-2022 group stage.
PSG have defeated Man City once at the Etihad Stadium. On the other side, Man City have won two matches against PSG at their home ground.
Read Champions League: Carrick thrust into limelight at Man U
Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain match prediction
Manchester City are in excellent form, having won their past two Premier League games against Manchester United and Everton. Pep Guardiola’s team has all it takes to shock the opponent's defense. All they have to do now is execute their strategy properly.
PSG have the best offensive trio in the world. Therefore Manchester City may not want to risk losing possession of the ball in this match. Manchester City's best formation could be 4-3-3, although they can also play 3-4-3 if necessary. Manchester City do not want to lose to one of their big Champions League opponents for the second time in the group stage. As a result, they may be able to tighten up the defense in this encounter.
Read PSG vs Nantes: Messi stole the spotlight scoring maiden league goal for Paris Saint-Germain
On the other hand, PSG have a plethora of attacking options, but they may prefer to play it safe in this match because Manchester City are a fierce rival in their own backyard. Coach Mauricio Pochettino does not want to lose this game since it may jeopardize their chances of reaching the Champions League's Round of 16 stage. As a result, PSG's primary strategy might be to counter-attack. If that happens, Manchester City may have a higher percentage of ball possession than PSG.
The 4-3-3 configuration might be PSG's preferred formation. They may use a 4-2-3-1 formation for additional defensive stability.
Prediction: Man City 3-3 PSG
Verdict
Paris Saint-Germain have the most fearsome lineup in the world. However, playing at Etihad Stadium away from home would be difficult for them. Man City will make it difficult for them in the attacking half. Furthermore, they have the tendency to create a big hole in the middle when they attack.
Read Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
Manchester City are one of Europe's top teams and clearly one of the favorites to win the Champions League in the 2021-2022 season. Mauricio Pochettino's side will put Pep Guardiola's side under a lot of strain in this Man City vs PSG match.
A year to go, Qatar World Cup still feels heat of scrutiny
The eight stadiums — all within a 30-mile radius of Doha — are now largely complete. The 2022 World Cup has been preserved after fending off hostility from neighbors, corruption investigations and concerns about worker abuses. And a clock on the Corniche waterfront in the Qatari capital was unveiled on Sunday to count down one year until kickoff.
Expect another 12 months of pressure from rights groups — fueled by player protests — and indignation from some World Cup organizers.
“Qatar has been unfairly treated and scrutinized for a number of years,” organizing committee CEO Nasser Al Khater said Saturday.
That scrutiny, though, has produced improvements to labor laws under the weight of criticism of working conditions since a reported $200 billion of upgrades to the country’s infrastructure began after the FIFA vote in December 2010.
Also read: Qatar abolishes long-criticized kafala employment system: ILO
“You take it into context of the region,” Al Khater told reporters, “I think Qatar is a trailblazer right now with all the reform that it’s done, whether it’s on worker standards, accommodation standards, the introduction of minimum wage.”
In some cases it was the World Cup organizing committee introducing changes before the country as a whole, but the enforcement of laws and conditions facing workers — particularly in the fierce summer heat — remains a source of concern for groups.
Qatar has not provided full details and data on the deaths of the migrant workers, particularly from South Asia, who are relied on to build the infrastructure across the country. Amnesty International has highlighted the need for deeper investigations into the cause of deaths, the lack of a right to form unions and the need for all companies to comply with newer laws saying workers should be allowed to leave jobs without permission of the employer.
“There’s criticism,” Al Khater said. “There’s work that needs to be done. There is, however, a lot of progress but unfortunately that has not been captured in reports such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch.”
Also read: Coronavirus: Qatar suspends entry of people from Bangladesh, 13 other countries
Twelve countries, as well as Qatar as host, have so far secured qualification for the 32-team event. Denmark has said its training kit in Qatar will feature critical human rights messages, ensuring the tournament will feature player activism.
The building work is starting to wind down.
“All eight stadiums for the World Cup are complete,” Al Khater said.
Seven venues are now ready to stage matches, with Stadium 974 built using that number of shipping containers to be inaugurated later this month at the FIFA Arab Cup that is serving as a test event for the World Cup.
A 40-minute drive north takes fans to the 80,000-capacity Losail Stadium that will stage the final on Dec. 18, 2022 but is not ready for games. Nearby is also the Losail International Circuit where Formula One defending world champion Lewis Hamilton said ahead of Sunday’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix that the country still has a “long way to go” on ensuring equality.
Hamilton is wearing a rainbow-colored helmet in Qatar to draw attention to the anti-LGBTQ+ laws that World Cup organizers effectively suggest won’t be enforced during the tournament.
“Everybody is welcome to come to Qatar and have an enjoyable time at the World Cup,” Al Khater said. “They can come and enjoy their time here without fear of any sort of repercussions, it makes no difference to people’s (sexual) orientation, religion, creed, race whatsoever.”
Al Khater said any couple could share a hotel room.
“I don’t know if this is a misconception,” he said. “I don’t know where you know, where you get this from. I mean, anybody is free to stay in a hotel, whether with their friend, with their partner.”
The challenge for supporters could still be affording the trip. Even though it’s a World Cup requiring no flights between games, demand for accommodation could be stretched in the tiny Gulf nation. What helps fans is being able to stay in neighboring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, after they lifted an economic, diplomatic and travel boycott of Qatar this year that had been running since 2017.
“The ultimate goal is to have a successful World Cup and you can only have a successful World Cup when you have fans attending,” Al Khater said. “So this has been taken into consideration to make sure that there’s plentiful accommodation and there’s accommodation available for all budgets.”
Fans will be traveling months later than usual for the World Cup. Opening on Nov. 21, 2022, with the final on Dec. 18, remains contentious as the major European leagues finalize the starting dates for a season so significantly disrupted for the first time by the World Cup.
Qatar bid for the World Cup under FIFA’s terms for the usual June-July slot, with the schedule change only decided after the vote. The now largely discredited committee of FIFA executives that voted by a majority for Qatar overlooked concerns about the heat.
That vote has remained under the cloud of corruption.
A FIFA-commissioned probe highlighted the unease of investigators looking into Qatar’s methods to win the vote but concluded there was no “evidence of any improper activity by the bid team.” American attorney Michael Garcia did, however, find that some of Qatar’s conduct “may not have met the standards” required by FIFA.
Fresh allegations of wrongdoing surfaced last year when American prosecutors revealed new details of alleged bribes paid by Qatar for votes. An indictment said Nicolás Leoz, then president of the South American governing body CONMEBOL, and former Brazil federation president Ricardo Teixeira received bribes to vote for Qatar.
“All of these investigations have shown us that Qatar has been vindicated of all the allegations made against it,” Al Khater said when asked about the claims that emerged in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. “So whatever you’re referring to, I deny categorically.”
ICC Women’s World Cup: Bangladesh to play USA Tuesday
Bangladesh Women’s Cricket team will play USA Women’s in their 2nd Group B match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday at Sunrise Sports Club ground in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
The 50-over-a- side match will kick off at 1:30 PM, Bangladesh time.
In the remaining Group B matches, Bangladesh will play Thailand on November 25 at the Harare Sports Club ground and will face hosts Zimbabwe on November 29 at Old Hararians Stadium in Harare. Both will kick off at 1:30 am, Bangladesh time.
Also read: Bangladesh amaze Pakistan in their opening match of Women’s World Cup Qualifier
Three top teams from 9-team qualifying rounds, will earn the right to play in the eight-team final round of the ICC Women’s World Cup along with former champions Australia, England, South Africa, India and hosts New Zealand from March 4 to April 3’ 2022.
On Sunday, Bangladesh team made a flying start in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers upsetting Pakistan by three wickets with two balls remaining in the opening match at Old Hararians Stadium in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
Sent in to bat first on Sunday, Pakistan Women’s scored a moderate total of 201 for 7 in stipulated 50 overs and Bangladesh team reached their target scoring the match-winner 202 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 49. 4 overs, featuring sensible batting by Rumana Ahmed (50) and Fargana Hoque (45).
Also read: Women’s World Cup Qualifiers: Tigresses show how it is done defeating Pakistan in key contest
Earlier, Bangladesh Women’s team also whitewashed hosts Zimbabwean women’s 3-0 in the three-match preparatory ODI Series at the Queen’s Sports Club ground in Bulawayo..
Bangladesh SQUAD : Nigar Sultana Joty (Captain), Murshida Khatun, Nuzhat Tasnia, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Rumana Ahmed, Ritu Moni, Nahida Akter, Salma Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Lata Mondol, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Khadiza-Tul Kubra and Shanjida Akther Maghla
Champions League: Carrick thrust into limelight at Man U
Some talking points in the Champions League heading into the fifth round of group games:
CARRICK IN CHARGE
One of English soccer's best and possibly most underappreciated midfielders in recent years, Michael Carrick was known for his calmness, quiet authority and vision on the field. He'll need all of those attributes now he has been thrust into one of the world's biggest coaching jobs pretty much from out of nowhere. Carrick, who only started his coaching career in 2018 and has never held a senior position, was named as United's caretaker manager following the firing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday. In place until United finds another coach for the rest of the season, Carrick starts his new role with a crucial match away to Villarreal on Tuesday as the teams look to seal qualification to the knockout stage. They are both on seven points in Group F, two points clear of Atalanta with two games left. Carrick will need to pick up a beleaguered United team that lost 4-1 at Watford in the Premier League on Saturday, the latest in a string of dreadful results that ultimately cost Solskjaer his job.
Read:PSG vs Nantes: Messi stole the spotlight scoring maiden league goal for Paris Saint-Germain
XAVI BOOST
Barcelona enters its crucial home match in Group E against Benfica on Tuesday boosted by the arrival of former great Xavi Hernández as its new coach. It will be his second match in charge after a league win in the Barcelona derby against Espanyol on Saturday, a result that ended a four-game winless streak in the league. The Catalan club started its Champions League campaign with consecutive 3-0 losses to Bayern Munich and Benfica, but a win against the Portuguese side will allow it to clinch a spot in the knockout stage and avoid its first elimination in the group stage in nearly two decades.
HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE
A win for Paris Saint-Germain in its heavyweight meeting at Manchester City on Wednesday would secure the French team a place in the last 16. Its away form has been concerning, though. In contrast to winning every game at its Parc des Princes home this season, PSG has drawn away to Club Brugge and Leipzig in the Champions League and lost at Rennes in the French league. With Lionel Messi fit, PSG will always have a great chance of victory and the Argentina star will be boosted by scoring his first goal in Ligue 1 in the win over Nantes on Saturday. Messi already has three goals in the Champions League — including one in the home win over City. City is on nine points, one more than PSG, in Group A. Third-place Brugge is a further four points back.
Read:Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
QUARANTINED STARS
Bayern Munich is already through to the next round with a perfect four wins from four games. So it’s likely coach Julian Nagelsmann would have opted to give some key players a rest at Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday for their penultimate game in Group E. Kyiv, bottom of the group with one point, needs a win and favor from Benfica against Barcelona to stay in contention. Bayern’s buildup has been overshadowed by the coronavirus with five reportedly unvaccinated players – Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Michael Cuisance – all in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has COVID-19. Niklas Süle and Josip Stanišić are also in isolation after testing positive for the disease.
ATALANTA RISING
A six-match unbeaten run in Serie A. A five-goal outburst at the weekend. Atalanta is on the upswing entering a potentially decisive visit to last-place Young Boys in Group F on Tuesday. “We’re experiencing a good moment,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said after a 5-2 win over Spezia on Saturday that included two goals from Mario Pasalic. “The team is improving. It has desire and is determined.” Atalanta is third in its group, two points behind Villarreal and Manchester United.
PSG vs Nantes: Messi stole the spotlight scoring maiden league goal for Paris Saint-Germain
10-man Paris Saint-Germain defeated Nantes on Saturday (November 20) in a Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes, extending their lead in the standings. PSG now have a 12-point advantage over Rennes in the league table. This was also a landmark match for Lionel Messi, who scored his first goal in Ligue 1 for the Parisians. In fact, Messi was directly involved in two goals and had a key role in the game's outcome. The match report of PSG vs Nantes is discussed in this article.
Match Report: PSG vs Nantes
Lionel Messi has been criticized for not putting up his typical masterful performance for PSG. He had a couple of good outings prior to this match, and Paris fans had seen his brilliance in those matches. Besides that, Messi has been quiet for his new team this season. Thankfully, he delivered against Nantes on Saturday, boosting his confidence for future matches.
Read: Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
PSG did not have to wait long to score their opening goal of the game. A long-range effort from Kylian Mbappe was deflected into the net by a Nantes defender. Within two minutes, the host had taken the lead in the contest. PSG failed to score a second goal in the first half and had to be content with a 1-0 lead despite increasing their attacks on the opposition defense.
The Parisians were more aggressive towards the opposing half from the start of the second half. Every time the magical trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe went forward, they frightened the Nantes defenders. Instead of scoring a second goal, PSG were down to ten men as goalkeeper Keylor Navas was sent off for a reckless tackle on Ludovic Blas right outside the D-box area.
Read Pran-DRU Football Tournament begins Sunday
Nantes took advantage of the situation and discarded the lead courtesy of a goal by Kolo Muani in the 76th minute. There were a few worrisome moments in the PSG dugout, but it only took five minutes to extend the lead. When Nantes defender Dennis Appiah tried to intercept Messi's through pass, it went straight into the net.
Six minutes later, Lionel Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal for PSG. His left-footed strike from outside the D-box went into the bottom left corner of the net, assisted by Kylian Mbappe. Paris Saint-Germain now have 37 points from 14 games with a 3-1 victory against Nantes.
Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: The national teams who have qualified so far
Independence Cup football likely to begin Nov 27
The next football season begins with the Independence Cup Football, marking the 50th year of the country’s Independence and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, that is likely to begin on November 27 at the Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.
Fifteen teams -twelve premier division clubs and three services teams—Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force—will play in this year’s curtain raiser soccer meet, arranged in place of traditional Federation Cup Football.
Read: Pakistan wrap up series beating Bangladesh by eight wickets
Independence Cup Football will be followed by Federation Cup Football and Premier League Football.
Twelve participating premier league clubs are: Bashundhara Kings, Sheikh Jamal DC, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Mohammedan SC, Sheikh Russel KC, Saif Sportsing Club, Chattogram Abahani Ltd, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, Bangladesh Police SC, Uttar Baridhara Club, Rahmatganj MFS, Swadinata KC.
Pran-DRU Football Tournament begins Sunday
Pran-Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Football Tournament’ 2021 begins on Sunday at Shaheed (Captain) M Mansur Ali Handball National Stadium in the capital.
A total of 50 media houses, split into eight groups, are initially taking part on knock out base meet, organized by Dhaka Reporters Unity. Later, eight group champion teams will play in the quarterfinals.
Read: Pakistan wrap up series beating Bangladesh by eight wickets
DRU Sports Secretary Maksuda Lisa disclosed the details of the meet at a press conference at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of DRU on Saturday.
DRU President Morsalin Nomani, general secretary Moshiur Rahman Khan and Head of the Corporate Brand of the meet’s sponsor Pran-RFL Group Nurul Absar also spoke on the occasion.
Read: Jatiya Press Club sports festival begins
Eight matches will be held on the opening day (Sunday) from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
FIFA World Cup 2022: The national teams who have qualified so far
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held in the months of November and December of the next year. This tournament will include a total of 32 teams from six confederations. The main event will feature 13 national teams from Europe, followed by 5 from Africa, 4/5 from Asia and South America, 3/4 from CONCACAF, and 0.5/1 from Oceania. Thirteen nations have already qualified for the World Cup, with the remaining teams to be confirmed within March. Let's take a look at who has qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
Qualified Teams for FIFA World Cup 2022
The Qatar World Cup 2022 will kick off in one year, with 13 teams out of 32 securing their spots in the main tournament. The majority of them are from Europe, with two from South America and the host Qatar. No teams from Africa, Asia, Concacaf, or Oceania have qualified yet.
The following countries have qualified for next year's event
Teams
Confederation
Serbia
(Group A winner, UEFA)
Spain
(Group B winner, UEFA)
Switzerland
(Group C winner, UEFA)
France
(Group D winner, UEFA)
Belgium
(Group E winner, UEFA)
Denmark
(Group F winner, UEFA)
The Netherlands
(Group G winner, UEFA)
Croatia
(Group H winner, UEFA)
England
(Group I winner, UEFA)
Germany
(Group J winner, UEFA)
Brazil
(One of the top four teams in the CONMEBOL)
Argentina
(One of the top four teams in the CONMEBOL)
Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers
Scenarios of qualification in all confederations for the 2022 Qatar World Cup
There are still 19 spots available for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Let's look at the overall World Cup 2022 qualification scenarios.
Also Read: European soccer leagues oppose FIFA biennial World Cup plan
Africa
The third round of African World Cup qualifiers will feature Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Five of the 10 teams in this round will advance to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Asia
Iran and South Korea are in a solid position in Group A of the third round. Iran lead the standings with 16 points, followed by South Korea with 14 points. They are the favorites to qualify for the World Cup 2022. Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia are battling it out in Group B for a spot in the World Cup. Saudi Arabia are now in first place with 16 points, followed by Japan (12 points), and Australia (11 points). A play-off will be held between the two third-place teams.
Europe
With ten national teams having already qualified, only three slots remain in the UEFA zone. Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Wales, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, Poland, and North Macedonia are the ten runner-up teams in each group, with two teams via the Nations League Austria and the Czech Republic will compete in a playoff round for a spot in the main event.
Read: Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
CONMEBOL
Ecuador (23 points), Colombia (17 points), and Peru (17 points) are all in great shape to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Chile (16 points), Uruguay (16 points), Bolivia (15 points), and Paraguay (13 points) are still in contention, but with only four games remaining, securing a top-four finish will be extremely difficult. The fifth-place team will play an inter-confederation play-off.
Concacaf
The real contenders for a spot in next year's World Cup are Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Panama. The top three teams in the points standings will advance to the main event, while the fourth-place team will compete in a play-off.
Oceania
The Oceania region will compete in a qualifying competition, with the winner advancing to an inter-confederation play-off for a World Cup place.
Read: Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Bottom Line
Some of the most anticipated teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022. However, few top teams have struggled in the qualifying round. From Europe, Italy and Portugal will have to compete in the qualifying round, and they are at risk of missing out on a place in the main tournament. Uruguay and Chile are in a perilous position in South America. These two teams may not be able to compete in the Qatar World Cup in 2022. There will be a lot of twists and turns before the end of the World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina vs. Brazil: Superclasico ends in goalless draw
The Superclasico match between Argentina and Brazil finished in a goalless draw at Argentina's Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario stadium. Argentina are now only one point away from securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Albiceleste has five more qualifier matches left, and they can seal a spot in the main event when they face Chile in January. On the other hand, Brazil have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Let's take a look at the Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup 2022 qualifier match report.
Match Report: Argentina vs. Brazil
Argentina's unbeaten streak has been extended after a scoreless (0-0) draw with Brazil. With this result, Lionel Scaloni's team has now gone 27 games without losing, which is an extraordinary feat.
Argentina had dominated the contest for the majority of it since Brazil's strategy was to save the match rather than lose it.
Read: Lionel Messi’s Charity Work: Exemplary philanthropy of legendary Argentine Footballer
The visiting team, Brazil went for the attack and had a few chances in the first half but were unable to capitalize on them. The selecao had their best chance of the game in the 60th minute (second-half). Fred's long-range shot only hit the bar outside the box. A few minutes later, Lucas Paqueta and Mathews Cunha attempted two shots in the opponent half, but both were unsuccessful. The new phenomenon, Vinicius Junior had his chance in the 72nd minute when he took a shot but failed to strike the back of the net.
On the other hand, Argentina attempted to build attacks from the back and they were strong in the midfield. The Albiceleste had the maximum ball possession and excellent passing accuracy, but they couldn't find the back of the net. Argentina's best chances in the first half came from Lionel Messi (24th minute), Lautaro Martinez (31st minute), and Rodrigo de Paul (41st minute).
Messi and his teammates tried to find a way through, but Brazil's defense remained solid. Argentina appeared desperate in the closing 15 minutes of the second half. Lionel Messi attempted two more shots, but both were saved.
Read: Neymar to miss Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier
Elsewhere, Bolivia defeated Uruguay 3-0, Peru defeated Venezuela 2-1 away from home, Ecuador defeated Chile 2-0, and Colombia and Paraguay played to a goalless draw in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Match Stats: Brazil vs. Argentina
According to the match statistics, Argentina had 56 percent ball possession and Brazil had 44 percent. The home side completed 495 passes, while the visitors completed 399.
Argentina had an 85 percent passing accuracy, whereas Brazil had an 81 percent passing accuracy. Argentina attempted nine shots, three of which were successful. On the other hand, Brazil made nine attempts and had two shots on target.
Read: Brazil Qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the first South American team
Both Argentina and Brazil were charged 21 fouls each. Argentina were shown four yellow cards, while Brazil were shown three.
South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers Scenario
Brazil lead the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers with 35 points. Their arch-rival Argentina are in second place with 29 points. Argentina lead Ecuador (23 points) by six points in the standings. Based on the current point standings, these three teams will certainly participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Colombia (17), Peru (17), Chile (16), Uruguay (16), Bolivia (15), and Paraguay (13) will compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the CONMEBOL zone. The fourth-place finisher will automatically qualify for the next year's World Cup, while the fifth-place finisher will have to play in an inter-confederation play-off. Therefore, the remaining FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in the CONMEBOL zone will surely be enthralling.
Read Four Nations Football: Double strike by Waseem guides Sri Lanka to final at cost of Bangladesh
Bottom Line
Neymar was absent in this Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup qualifier match because of a thigh injury. But that didn't reduce the excitement of this match. Argentina controlled for the most part of this match, but Brazil's tactics were just as effective. Based on their current form, both teams will unquestionably be among the favorites for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The number of matches they will play prior to the main event will help with the development of their team's strategy.