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Lisandro Martinez was absent from the starting xi as Argentina lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening game
The lack of defensive solidity and more importantly progressive play from the back were just a few of the factors that contributed to this shocking Argentina defeat. Head Coach Lionel Scaloni set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation instead of the more familiar 4-3-3 he employed throughout qualifying.
Argentina's tactical issues
Scaloni started with Nicolas Otamendi and Christian Romero as the defensive partnership and there was an obvious lack of on-the-ball quality from the pair.
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Their inability to progress play accurately or swiftly enough meant that Leandro Paredes had to drop even deeper to pick up the ball, leaving acres of space in midfield. Saudi Arabia pressed high up the field denying Paredes space to move the ball as quickly as he would have liked.
Lisandro Martinez should start for Argentina
In terms of ball progression from the back, there are very few defenders in world football as good as the Manchester United defender, Lisandro Martinez. His ability to play accurate long balls under pressure would have greatly helped the Argentine backline evade the press from Saudi Arabia. He is adept at playing out of the back, which allows midfielders and attackers to push higher up the field, in turn, opening up spaces on the flanks to create 1v1 situations.
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His excellent reading of the game allows him to time tackles excellently and give the team a solid base. As he has shown in his performances for Manchester United this season, he is extremely accomplished in the air and his aggression on the ball is definitely something Argentina lacked against Saudi Arabia. Martinez must start at the heart of the Argentna defence to improve their chances of making a deep run in Qatar
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