Argentina vs Bolivia – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Argentina is set to face Bolivia in their first of the three friendlies that are scheduled to take place during this international break.

They will host the match on Thursday at midnight UK time at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in the absence of Lionel Messi, who will return for the national team only for the third match and play his final game in an Argentine Jersey.

Argentina vs Bolivia – Match preview and team news

Argentina team news

Cristian Romero will captain an experimental Argentina squad against Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, marking the beginning of the post-Lionel Messi era.

Following his post-World Cup retirement announcement, Messi is being saved for a farewell match on October 6, leaving his iconic No. 10 jersey unassigned for this fixture.

Manager Lionel Scaloni faces several squad adjustments, as Juan Foyth and Thiago Almada have withdrawn due to injuries, while Nicolás Tagliafico remains a doubt with a muscle strain.

Furthermore, key veterans Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are being rested. This forced rotation allows Scaloni to experiment with new tactical setups, notably starting strikers Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez together up front—a partnership he previously avoided.

Young talents Nicolás Paz and Agustín Giay are also expected to feature heavily in the new-look lineup.

Bolivia team news

Manager Oscar Villegas is expected to prioritise stability and continuity, largely relying on the same group of players from their weekend outing.

La Verde’s strategy will centre on a defensive five-man backline designed to absorb pressure from the world champions. Crucial to this defensive effort will be the performances of regular goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra and team captain Luis Haquín, anchor at the back.

In midfield, Gabriel Villamíl and Miguel Terceros will carry the responsibility of disrupting Argentina’s possession while trying to spark counter-attacking opportunities for lone striker Bruno Miranda. Villegas will look to these core players to establish a resilient structure and steady the team ahead of future competitive fixtures.

Form

Argentina

Argentina enters this fixture boasting excellent form despite a painful 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup Final. Prior to that, the world champions enjoyed a highly dominant run throughout the summer tournament, dispatching teams like England (2-1), Switzerland (3-1), and Egypt (3-2) in the knockout rounds. They have won eight of their last nine matches, showcasing structural dominance and a high-scoring frontline as they look to rebound.

Bolivia

Bolivia is trapped in a devastating slump, having suffered four consecutive international defeats. Their latest setback was a comprehensive 2-0 friendly loss to Paraguay over the weekend. Prior to this window, La Verde struggled defensively during their mid-year friendly schedule, conceding heavily in consecutive 4-0 thrashing losses against both Algeria and Scotland. Aside from a narrow 2-1 play-off win over Suriname in March, recent victories have been entirely sparse for the struggling side.

Predicted lineups

Argentina: Rulli; Giay, Romero, Medina, Tagliafico; Mac Allister, Palacios, Barco, Paz, Alvarez; Martinez

Bolivia: Viscarra; Sagredo, Haquin, Torres; Medina, Cuellar, Lopez, Villamil, Fernandez; Terceros, Miranda

How to watch Argentina vs Bolivia?

The match will be shown live on Premier Sports 2.

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