Argentina were utterly dominant in their opening fixture, beating Algeria 3-0 in a performance that showed exactly why they are one of the favourites to retain their title. 38-year-old Messi was at his very best, and Argentina were looking to feed the ball to him at every available opportunity.

Algeria afforded him way too much time and space to shoot, but that is more of a testament to Messi and his teammates’ movement rather than a poor defensive structure. Austria should look to be a bit more intense in their press, but it seems unlikely that they will be able to contain Messi.

Argentina scored 31 goals in their 18 CONMEBOL qualifying matches, which was more than any other South American side. They are not short of attacking talent in forward areas, and they have shown just how ruthless they can be in the final third. 

With that being said, Austria aren’t a side to sit back and absorb pressure - they like to press high and look to put their opponents under duress, and those tactics should persist here. Because of that, Argentina could have space in midfield again, like they had against Algeria. But Austria also come into this match on a high, having beaten Jordan 3-1 - we could get quite an open game here with chances at both ends of the field.

Argentina managed ten shots against Algeria last time out, and Messi accounted for exactly half of those - had had four shots hit the target, and the other went narrowly wide of the post. Lionel Scaloni’s game plan was evident against Algeria - find Messi at every available opportunity.

The maestro saw so much of the ball, and there is the understanding that he is still operating at his best. Messi had an average of 4.49 shots per 90 for Argentina during their qualifying campaign, which translated to five goals. He also has 13 goals in 16 appearances playing for Inter Miami this term.

It was a surprise to see Marko Arnautovic benched for Sasa Kalajdzic in round one, but the 37-year-old should get the nod to start here after scoring off the bench against Jordan. If he does start, he will be directly up against a centre back pairing of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, and that is a matchup to keep a close eye on. 

Arnautovic was fouled once against Jordan in round one despite featuring for only the final 30 minutes, which shows how he is adept at holding the ball up and drawing contact. He plays for Red Star Belgrade and had an average of 1.47 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season.

Ralf Rangnick's system is intense - he likes his team to press relentlessly high up the pitch, and that approach can result in some notable foul counts. Austria racked up 12 fouls against Jordan last time out despite being comfortable winners, dominating proceedings with 60% possession.

Philipp Mwene accounted for one foul in that game, but this matchup against Argentina promises to be a lot more demanding. His primary matchup is likely to be Rodrigo De Paul, who started on the right wing against Algeria. He was fouled once in that game, but the 32-year-old had an average of 2.06 fouls per 90 for Argentina during their qualifiers, which was one of the highest figures in the squad. 

Posch will have to deal with Thiago Almada on the flank, which promises to be no easy task. The 25-year-old might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of this Argentina squad, but he has been an underrated figure for Scaloni recently.

The Atletico Madrid winger contributed three goals and two assists from seven appearances for Argentina during their World Cup qualifying campaign - only Messi and Julian Alvarez registered more goal involvements. Almada blanked against Algeria in round one, but the selection still landed as his substitute Nico Gonzalez provided an assist for Messi - showing how Argentina's depth also makes this price appealing. 

Argentina are not short of aggressive defenders throughout their back line, and Facundo Medina is another player who fits that mould at left back. He committed two fouls against Algeria in round one, having also landed this selection against Honduras in a warm-up friendly despite only featuring for the second half of that game.

Medina plays his football for Marseille in Ligue 1, where he averaged 1.33 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, with nine bookings from his 26 appearances overall. He isn’t one to shy away from a strong challenge, and he should find duels against Romano Schmid who has an average of 1.2 fouls drawn per 90 playing for Werder Bremen this season. 

On the opposite side, Stefan Posch recorded three infringements against Jordan, and he was fortunate to escape a booking in the end. Posch tends to be aggressive in his challenges and his disciplinary record is one of the worst in the Austrian squad.

Posch had an average of 2.5 fouls per 90 during Austria's Euro 2024 campaign, picking up one booking in four matches, and that figure has remained consistent throughout World Cup qualifying with 2.4 fouls per 90. Playing against a side as dynamic as Argentina, Posch is likely to be drawn out of position, which could result in a cynical foul.

Xaver Schlager averaged 1.31 fouls per 90 operating in a defensive midfield role for RB Leipzig this campaign, and he will now face the unenviable task of trying to contain Messi, who is coming off that incredible individual performance against Algeria last time out.

Schlager committed two fouls against Jordan in round one, but this promises to be a considerably tougher matchup given the quality of opposition he now faces. With Messi consistently dropping deep to draw defenders out of position and seeing so much of the ball, Schlager should have plenty of defensive work to get through in Texas, and this promises to be one of the toughest matches of his career.