Argentine star, Alexis Mac Allister is excited for Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal matchup against the Netherlands.
The Brighton midfielder’s emergence as a key member of the Argentina team has surprised even him.
In spite of missing Argentina’s shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening game in Qatar, Mac Allister has quickly established himself as a key member of Lionel Scaloni’s midfield.
Mac Allister is anticipating Argentina’s match against the Oranje at Lusail Stadium, where a spot in the semifinals is on the line.
“If you would have told me this [how influential he has become] before the World Cup I would have signed up for it, for sure,” he said.
“It has been a fast integration but the credit for that goes to my colleagues and the technical staff.”
The Netherlands will pose a serious threat to Argentina’s hopes but Mac Allister was more interested in talking up his team-mates than spending too much time worrying about Louis van Gaal’s men.
He added: “We know they have great players, and a very clear style, but we have our own weapons and will try to counter theirs.
“There is a great history between the sides but if we do things right everything will be fine.”
The teams have previously faced each other five times at the World Cup, with Argentina winning the most recent match in Brazil in 2014 after a tedious 0-0 draw.
On that occasion, Van Gaal was also in charge of the Dutch during his second of three stints as manager, and Mac Allister had nothing but praise for the 71-year-old.
“I remember watching that game with my family at home,” he said. “I enjoyed it and now I am here. Being able to play these matches is a great joy.
“We know he’s a top coach, world renowned, and there is a great deal of respect from everyone in our camp, including me. His teams always have variation but with a clear idea. We are up against a great team.”
Stopping Lionel Messi could be crucial to the result because he has been Argentina’s standout player thus far in Qatar.
Van Gaal is reportedly considering hiring a man-marker for the Paris Saint-Germain star, according to reports in the Netherlands, but Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni claims to have seen it all before.
He said: “We are used to our opponents coming up with something different. We will see but, during the match, there are always modifications, and that’s something we are likely to do as well.
“Let’s wait and see but we have played matches before when there has been man-marking on Leo.”
Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria are both injured, but Scaloni did not provide much information about their availability.
“Today we have the last training session so we will see how they feel,” he said. “Rodrigo trained on Wednesday so let’s see what happens in today’s session. Angel also trained so we will decide later today.”
