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The countdown to Lionel Messi's final international match for Argentina is fast approaching, and as much as his fans around the world want time to stand still, the skipper will inevitably bow out of the global football scene, but not before his beloved nation hosts Burkina Faso in a friendly clash on Sunday, October 4.
The Albiceleste made a return to the pitch on Thursday morning for the first time since their World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey, and while it was triumphant, it just meant that there is one more game until a nation must say goodbye to its hero.
Burkina Faso travel to Buenos Aires in good spirits after they remained unbeaten in their two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers during this international break, but visiting the South American nation will prove a tough ask.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Argentina vs. Burkina Faso key stats
- Argentina won 15 of their last 16 matches in all competitions.
- The hosts restricted Bolivia to three shots last time out with none of them being on target.
- Burkina Faso's win against Central Africa on Monday ended a four-game winless streak.
Argentina vs. Burkina Faso preview: Momentum in favour of hosts
| Argentina | vs | Burkina Faso |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | FIFA Ranking | 62nd |
| Lautaro Martinez (85) | Most Caps | Herve Koffi (72) |
| Lautaro Martinez (41) | Most Goals | Lassina Traore (14) |
| 609 | Total Caps | 418 |
| 89 | Total Goals | 48 |
| 3 | Uncapped Players | 3 |
Argentina got back to winning ways in their first friendly of the international window against Bolivia, blowing them away 4-0 on the day, the clean sheet thanks to a centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez.
With the national team heading to the nation's capital for this one, Lionel Scaloni may put his best starting XI forward to treat the home fans, barring one Lionel Messi, who is only due to linke up with his teammates for their final fixture against Benin next week.
The Albiceleste have been incredibly efficient in front of goal against other African opponents, as they scored three goals each against Egypt, Cape Verde and Algeria, all of which came at the World Cup in North America.
Since their first game of that competition, Argentina have scored 23 goals in nine matches, which means they are averaging 2.5 goals per match, an indication that the home side are firing on all cylinders.
Even without their inspirational captain Messi, the home side managed four goals against fellow South Americans Bolivia, after recording 18 shots on the day, six of which were on target with an xG of 2.24.
The visitors have just recently entered into a new era with Amir Abdou taking charge of Burkina Faso since March this year, taking the reins from Brama Traore.
Results have not gone according to plan for the Stallions under the new boss, as he has overseen six matches in total, leading them to victory just twice, while three ended in a draw.
Abdou's clash with Argentina will be his first fixture against a team outside of Africa, and coming up against the former World Champions will be tough for any nation around the world, let alone a side that are ranked 60 places below the hosts.
Burkina Faso have not been prolific in the attacking third recently, scoring just four goals across their last five competitive fixtures, which is an average of 0.8 goals per game.
Argentina vs. Burkina Faso form guide & betting tips
| Argentina | vs | Burkina Faso |
|---|---|---|
WWWLW |
Form | DLDDW |
| 12 | Goals For | 4 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 7 |
WWW |
Friendly form | DLD |
Whispers predicts: Argentina 3-0 Burkina Faso
Argentina should just have too much in the tank for Burkina Faso, who have never faced the South American nation before, and opting to back the hosts to win at 1.20 odds makes sense, but there is not much value in it.
It is worth highlighting that the hosts have scored exactly three goals in five of their recent nine fixtures, which translates to 56% of that run, leading to an interesting betting option of a three-way handicap and backing Argentina to win with a -2 handicap at 2.65 odds.
After keeping a clean sheet last time out, Scaloni's men will be keen to treat the home fans to another shut out, and considering Burkina Faso's average over the last five matches, it is worth exploring the BTTS – No bet at 1.63 odds.
To capitalise on Argentina's brilliance in the attacking areas of the pitch, focusing on their goal count is a good idea, as they scored more than two goals in five of their last seven matches, which makes getting behind the hosts to score over 2.5 goals at 1.92 odds a sensible approach.
> Both teams to score – No at 1.63 | Likelihood: High
> 1×2 – Argentina at 1.20 | Likelihood: High
> Argentina to win with -2 handicap at 2.65 | Likelihood: Medium
> Argentina totals – over 2.5 goals at 1.92 | Likelihood: Medium