WITH the World Cup now just three days away, Dream Team bosses will no doubt be on the hunt for some last-minute tips and tricks.
Look no further.
Every gaffer will be keen to burst out of the blocks and one way to achieve this is to target the favourable match-ups in the first round of fixtures.
One that immediately jumps out is Argentina v Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning.
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Lionel Scaloni’s side are second favourites to triumph in Qatar according to the bookmakers while all 26 players selected for Saudi Arabia play their domestic football in their homeland.
There’s nothing wrong with that of course it’s just that the standard is a step or two below the top European leagues, where plenty of Argentine stars reside.
Now, if you’re thinking this is leading to us tipping Lionel Messi (£7.5m) then, please, give us more credit than that.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be one of the first names that comes to mind for Dream Team World Cup managers as they select their XIs – it goes without saying that he’s a great pick for the first round of fixtures and beyond.
But what 98.6% of gaffers are overlooking right now is the potential for some cheap and easy points in defence.
Again, we do not intend to disrespect the Saudi team but Argentina will likely dominate the fixture and should keep a clean sheet.
A reminder here that the Copa America champions have not lost a game in over three years.
At the time of writing, Lisandro Martinez (£4m) is by far and away the most-popular Argentina defender in the game with a massive ownership of 16.8%.
However, it could well be Cristian Romero (£4m) and Nicolas Otamendi (£4m) pairing up at centre-back come Tuesday morning.
Here’s where Nahuel Molina (£3.5m) enters the conversation.
The 24-year-old, who signed for Atletico Madrid in the summer, has been Argentina’s first-choice right-back since his debut in 2021.
Granted, full-back is the area in which the two-time World champions are perhaps most vulnerable but it’s this notion that resulted in Molina being finalised at £3.5m.
Given he’s virtually a guaranteed starter for one of the pre-tournament favourites, affordably priced, and he has a favourable fixture to kick things off, his ownership should be way higher than 1.4%.
The ex-Udinese defender may not be one of the most exciting talents on display at Qatar, and his club form has been shaky of late, but Dream Team World Cup managers should only be concerned with where the points are coming from.
And Molina looks ripe for at least five points this coming Tuesday – plus, he’s £0.5 cheaper than Romero, Otamendi, Martinez and Nicolas Tagliafico.
It’s not a sure thing of course – there’s no such thing in football or Dream Team – but backing Molina looks a savvy move ahead of the first week.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
