ShareIf a narrow win over minnows Mauritania didn’t get the Buenos Aires crowd in party mode, a potential final farewell to Lionel Messi might do as Argentina face Zambia in their latest friendly.By Karl MatchettThe eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will win an incredible 198th international cap if he starts, as expected, and given the expectations around him potentially ending his Albiceleste career (again) after the summer World Cup, at which time he’ll be 39, this could be his final outing on home soil.A title to retainThough Messi came off the bench against Mauritania, it’s important for Lionel Scaloni and the team to develop ways of playing – and winning well, ideally – without their iconic No. 10. He will naturally be a go-to at the finals in the summer, but it may be he doesn’t play every match or see out every 90 minutes, in trying to spare him to impact later on in defence of their title.It means others need to step up more than they’ve managed to thus far in terms of end product; only Julián Alvarez (13) has more than seven goals in the squad, with Nico Paz, Thiago Almada and Giuliano Simeone perhaps among those who could earn themselves a regular starting place if they can prove they can be a supply line.To watch the upcoming friendlies in the United States, click hereDefence first?If the attack is not completely clicking into gear, it’s vital that Argentina can hold strong at the other end then – and so there is optimism around a new-look partnership of Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi at the back. Senesi’s Bournemouth contract is up this summer and with clubs like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid reportedly keen on him, establishing himself as a starter ahead of the World Cup – and performing well during it – will only raise his profile and earning potential further. He ranks above 98% of European centre-backs for defensive contributions over the past year and is top 5% in the Premier League this term.Low-key opponentsOpponents Zambia won the Afcon in 2014 but have been on a downward trajectory since – they haven’t actually won an Afcon game since the semi-finals of that year, given they drew the final and won on penalties. Only seven of the current squad ply their trade outside of Zambia.Recent internationalsArgentina have won six of their last eight though their last notable win was arguably June last year, in Chile. Zambia have won one of their last 13 matches over the past year.Team newsMessi is set to start but Gonzalo Montiel withdrew from the squad injured and Joaquín Panichelli is out of the World Cup after rupturing his ACL again in training before the weekend.Key PlayerIf Simeone gets the nod down the right, he can be a force and a threat if tuned in – though still needs to add more control and poise to his final decision. Still, he’s top 1.5% of LaLiga attackers for expected assists, top 5% for big chances created and top 8% for successful dribbles.PredictionAnother win for Argentina as the home crowd give a pre-tournament send-off…but not a result to strike fear into potential summer rivals: Argentina 3-0 Zambia.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every Argentina game with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.To watch the upcoming Argentina games in the United States, check out the coverage provided by BeINSports – here.If a narrow win over minnows Mauritania didn’t get the Buenos Aires crowd in party mode, a potential final farewell to Lionel Messi might do as Argentina face Zambia in their latest friendly.By Karl MatchettThe eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will win an incredible 198th international cap if he starts, as expected, and given the expectations around him potentially ending his Albiceleste career (again) after the summer World Cup, at which time he’ll be 39, this could be his final outing on home soil.A title to retainThough Messi came off the bench against Mauritania, it’s important for Lionel Scaloni and the team to develop ways of playing – and winning well, ideally – without their iconic No. 10. He will naturally be a go-to at the finals in the summer, but it may be he doesn’t play every match or see out every 90 minutes, in trying to spare him to impact later on in defence of their title.It means others need to step up more than they’ve managed to thus far in terms of end product; only Julián Alvarez (13) has more than seven goals in the squad, with Nico Paz, Thiago Almada and Giuliano Simeone perhaps among those who could earn themselves a regular starting place if they can prove they can be a supply line.To watch the upcoming friendlies in the United States, click hereDefence first?If the attack is not completely clicking into gear, it’s vital that Argentina can hold strong at the other end then – and so there is optimism around a new-look partnership of Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi at the back. Senesi’s Bournemouth contract is up this summer and with clubs like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid reportedly keen on him, establishing himself as a starter ahead of the World Cup – and performing well during it – will only raise his profile and earning potential further. He ranks above 98% of European centre-backs for defensive contributions over the past year and is top 5% in the Premier League this term.Low-key opponentsOpponents Zambia won the Afcon in 2014 but have been on a downward trajectory since – they haven’t actually won an Afcon game since the semi-finals of that year, given they drew the final and won on penalties. Only seven of the current squad ply their trade outside of Zambia.Recent internationalsArgentina have won six of their last eight though their last notable win was arguably June last year, in Chile. Zambia have won one of their last 13 matches over the past year.Team newsMessi is set to start but Gonzalo Montiel withdrew from the squad injured and Joaquín Panichelli is out of the World Cup after rupturing his ACL again in training before the weekend.Key PlayerIf Simeone gets the nod down the right, he can be a force and a threat if tuned in – though still needs to add more control and poise to his final decision. Still, he’s top 1.5% of LaLiga attackers for expected assists, top 5% for big chances created and top 8% for successful dribbles.PredictionAnother win for Argentina as the home crowd give a pre-tournament send-off…but not a result to strike fear into potential summer rivals: Argentina 3-0 Zambia.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every Argentina game with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.To watch the upcoming Argentina games in the United States, check out the coverage provided by BeINSports – here.