Scaloni Picks Lautaro Martínez, Bench Otamendi for Algeria Debut
Lionel Scaloni set Argentina’s World Cup debut lineup against Algeria with lautaro martínez in attack and Nicolás Otamendi on the bench. The change points to a back four at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas, where Argentina will open the tournament with Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez starting up front.
Scaloni Chooses a Back Four
Argentina will line up with four defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cuti Romero, Lisandro Martínez and Facundo Medina. Scaloni had tried a line of three central defenders before settling on this shape, and the final call came hours before kickoff.
Dibu Martínez has recovered and will start in goal. That gives Argentina a full first-choice spine for the opener, with Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Thiago Almada in midfield behind Messi and Lautaro Martínez.
Otamendi Stays on the Bench
Otamendi’s place on the bench is the clearest change in the defensive picture. The 35-year-old defender was left out of the starting line, while Gonzalo Montiel had been in doubt after a muscle issue but played some minutes against Islandia in one of the pre-World Cup friendlies.
Julián Álvarez also stayed in the conversation for a start, but the staff expects to wait until he is 100 percent before using him from the opening whistle. That leaves Argentina with a front line built around Messi and Lautaro Martínez for the match against Algeria.
Arrowhead Stadium And Algeria
The lineup decision lands against a different kind of test: Algeria arrive with Riyad Mahrez as their standout, while Vladimir Petković leads the side. Argentina’s answer is a more settled shape, one that protects the back line and puts its biggest attacking names on the field from the start.
For Argentina, the immediate task is simple. The opening World Cup XI is set, the bench includes Otamendi, and the first look at Scaloni’s tournament plan now runs through a back four, a recovered goalkeeper and a forward pairing that starts with Lautaro Martínez.
