Atlanta (dpa) – Lionel Messi will be in Argentina’s starting lineup for the match against Egypt, despite the tension in extra time of the round of 16. Coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed this ahead of the World Cup quarter-final against Africa in Atlanta on Tuesday.
“He’s fine despite playing 120 minutes at 39. He’ll play again,” Scaloni said. In the 1/8 finals, the defending champions managed to beat newcomers and outsiders Cape Verde with a score of 3:2 only after extra time.
The next African opponent now awaits in Egypt, who will arrive with their star Mohamed Salah. “They have a completely different style of play. They make it very difficult for the opponent. We absolutely need to avoid counter-attacks like we allowed against Cape Verde,” Scaloni said. “And we are looking forward to Salah. It will be a good game.”
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