Disciplined Iran hopeful to hold back Messi & Co.

Persianfootball.com – BELO HORIZONTE, Team Melli has shown a stellar defensive performance in the goalless draw versus Nigeria, but will have to further improve the defensive and offensive performance to stand a chance against a star-studded Argentina on Saturday.

The Argentinians had much more problems versus an ambitious Bosnian side than expected and will now return to their usual 4-3-3 formation with Messi, Higuain and Aguero in attack, being supported by Di Maria, Gago and Mascherano, as coach Sabella already announced.

Iran boss Carlos Queiroz as usual was not similarly vocal about his lineup plans, but it would be a major surprise if the Portuguese would not field the same 11 he had already used versus Nigeria and in the dress rehearsal against Trinidad and Tobago.

Queiroz might be tempted to bring on Ghasem Hadadifar as additional central midfielder instead of Ehsan Hajsafi or Khosro Heydari and move Ashkan Dejagah from the supporting striker into a side midfielder role though. That would mean Iran’s 4-4-1-1 would be transformed into a 4-5-1 to pack the midfield against Argentina’s world class players.

However, it is also expected that Argentina will give Iran much more space on the counter than a cautious Nigerian team had done on Monday, so it cannot be completely ruled out Queiroz bringing on Masoud Shojaei or Alireza Jahanbakhsh to benefit from that circumstance.

Although anything but an Argentinian victory would be a major surprise, the defensively very well organized Iranians being thrashed is at least as unlikely as Team Melli getting points from this match – although if Messi & Co. get going any team in the world could suffer a thrashing on a bad day.

Iran, who will play in the red away jerseys, indeed might have little to lose. Regardless of the result versus Argentina, Iran will most likely have their final against Bosnia & Herzegovina next Wednesday.

The Bosnians will take on Nigeria in the other group match six hours after the Iranian game.

Argentina – Iran
World Cup 2014, Group F, Belo Horizonte

Possible lineups:

Argentina: Romero – Zabaleta, Garay, Fernandez, Rojo – Mascherano, Gago, Di Maria – Messi, Higuain, Aguero

Iran: Haghighi – Montazeri, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Pouladi – Heydari, Teymourian, Nekounam, Hajsafi – Dejagah – Ghoochannejhad