Argentina vs Australia Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips– 2022 World Cup: Who Will Win?
| Timetable | Saturday 3rd December at 19:00 GMT |
| Prediction | Argentina to Win! |
| Odds | Argentina to Win @ 1.20 |
| Bookmaker | TonyBet Sports |
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On Saturday 3rd December at 19:00 GMT, the second round of 16 clash of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place between Argentina and underdogs Australia.
This clash, which will take place at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, will pit the South American side (who topped Group C) against a plucky Australian outfit, with the Socceroos beating both Tunisia and Denmark to finish level with France and runners-up in Group D.
As for Argentina, the third ranked side in the world overcame their shock defeat against Saudi Arabia in their opening Group C game, comfortably beating Mexico and dominating Poland to secure consecutive 2-0 wins and reach the knockout stages.
But will Argentina’s class and superior quality tell in Al-Rayyan, or can an organised and spirited Australian team spring yet another surprise in this unpredictable tournament? Let’s take a closer look and consider the latest FIFA World Cup Betting odds!
💯 Argentina vs Australia Betting Odds
Before we take a closer look at each’s team path to the round of 16 and the battle that are likely to determine this game, let’s consider the very latest Argentina vs Australia odds across the most popular markets!
🏅 Argentina vs Australia Odds: Match Winner
We’ll start with straight match betting, with competitive odds currently being offered by all of our recommended betting sites. Here’s a snapshot of the latest prices and Argentina vs Australia odds.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina to Win | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.21 | 1.18 | 1.17 | 1.18 | 1.18 |
| Australia to Win | 17.00 | 17.00 | 13.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 17.00 |
| Draw | 7.40 | 7.40 | 6.00 | 5.50 | 6.00 | 6.50 | 6.50 |
⚽ Argentina vs Australia Odds: Both Teams to Score
Match betting in knockout football isn’t for everyone, as most wagers become null and void if the contest goes to penalties. So, you may want to consider alternative, even money markets, such as wagering on whether both sides will score or not.
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 2.90 | 2.90 | 2.65 | 2.70 | 2.60 | 2.65 | 2.75 |
| No | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.45 | 1.44 | 1.45 | 1.44 | 1.40 |
🥅 Argentina vs Australia Odds: Over/Under 2.5 Goals
Similarly, you could wager on whether you expect there to be over or under 2.5 goals scored the game. While this also represents an even money wager, it’s a deceptively challenging betting market to crack, as is borne out by the fact that the 44 games played so far have yielded 109 goals at 2.48 per game!
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2.5 Goals | 1.73 | 1.77 | 1.73 | 1.67 | 1.73 | 1.67 | 1.70 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 2.11 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.10 | 2.10 | 2.10 | 2.05 |
🏠 Argentina Preview
It was hard to imagine a more shocking start to Argentina’s World Cup campaign, with the world’s third ranked side losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia despite taking a first half lead through Lionel Messi’s spot kick.
After all, La Albiceleste entered the World Cup on the back of a 35-match unbeaten run dating back to 2019, during which time they’d won an historic Copa America in the summer of 2021 and qualified for the finals unbeaten.
The response from Argentina was superb, however, with a magical Messi goal helping to break down a stubborn Mexico defence in a 2-0 win in Lusail. Then, the side produced their best performance of the tournament to date, dominating a lacklustre Poland team to secure another 2-0 win and top Group C with six points.
They’re obviously going to start a round of 16 clash against Australia as favourites, but Argentina will be wary of being complacent and falling victim to another 2022 World Cup shock!
📰 Latest Argentina World Cup News
Tweets by Argentina✈️ Australia Preview
Australia are ranked 38th in the world by FIFA according to their most recent listing, making them rank outsiders when they drawn into World Cup Group D alongside defending champions France, Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark and North African team Tunisia (who are ranked 30th in the world).
Things looked even more bleak when they lost 4-1 to France in their opening match (despite the Aussies taking the lead through Craig Goodwin), but Mitchell Duke’s superb header following a sweeping counterattack against Tunisia put qualification for the round of 16 in their own hands.
In their way was Denmark, with the world’s 10th-ranked side knowing that they needed a win to keep their own World Cup hopes alive. Despite dominating, however, Denmark simply couldn’t convert their chances, before Matthew Leckie’s superb solo goal on the hour ultimately sealed an historic win.
This is only the second time that Australia have reached the knockout stages (and first since 2006), and they’ll dreaming of making more history and reaching the quarterfinals for the very first time!
📰 Latest Australia World Cup News
Tweets by FootballAUS🟨 The Latest Injury News and Suspensions
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has struggled to find the right balance in his team during the tournament, and he may well ring the changes again given the rapid turnaround of games.
This means that Lisandro Martinez may once again return to the centre of defence (potentially in place of 34-year-old Nicolás Otamendi), while Lyon's Nicolas Tagliafico could replace Marcus Acuna after replacing him midway through the second half against Poland.
In midfield, Enzo Fernandez is expected to keep his place alongside Rodrigo De Paul in midfield after impressing since starring against Mexico, while striker Julian Alvarez may also be retained ahead of Lautaro Martinez after his superb finish against Poland.
The Aussies have a fully fit squad to choose from, with Graham Arnold spoiled for a choice in a couple of positions. For example, Nathaniel Atkinson, Fran Karacic and Milos Degenek (who finished the game against Denmark) are all in contention at right back, with Karacic expected to get the nod against Argentina.
In midfield, Craig Goodwin is expected to keep his pace despite enduring a torrid time against Denmark, where he was hauled off at half-time and replaced by the inexperienced St. Mirren player Keanu Baccus.
Once again, the talented Mitchell Duke will be supported by Matthew Leckie in attack, with the hard working who plies his trade in Japan’s second tier emerging as one of the success stories of the World Cup.
🏆 Key Matchups
As we’ve already touched on, the clash between Argentina and Australia will be decided by a number of key individual duals all over the pitch.
We’ll explore some of these below in more detail, while asking how they’re likely to impact the outcome of the game!
Lionel Messi vs Aaron Mooy
Lionel Messi has already scored twice (taking his international tally to 93 goals in 168 matches) and assisted once at this World Cup, with his goal against Mexico crucial to breaking down a stubborn and defensive Mexico side.
He also performed superbly against Poland, displaying all of his legendary poise, vision and balance while completing five dribbles and laying on five chances for his teammates.
For much of the World Cup, the Australians have deployed Celtic playmaker Aaron Mooy in a deeper midfield role, and if this tend continues, he’ll be tasked with minimising the mercurial number 10’s space and preventing him from getting on the ball in central areas.
However, he’ll need support from partner Jackson Irvine if he’s to succeed in this endeavour, and the two will have to work in tandem to keep space at a premium. However, one lapse in concentration is more than enough to cost you the game, as Mexico found out in the second group stage game.
Lisandro Martinez vs Mitchell Duke
If Otamendi is rested for the game, Lisandro Martinez is likely to partner Spurs’ Christian Romero in central defence.
This will pit him directly against the hard running and earnest Mitchell Duke, who scored a superb header against Tunisia and lead the line with distinction against a tall and aggressive Danish defensive line.
Certainly, Martinez will need to use his pace, mobility and tenacity to get close to Duke and prevent him from turning in the final third, while the striker will want to dominate his aerial duals with the defender and optimise his height advantage (1.85 metres vs 1.75 metres).
Whoever controls this battle will give their side a huge shot in the arm, but the Aussies will also need to get support around Duke when they counterattack and retain the ball high up the park where possible.
Julian Alvarez vs Harry Souttar
Like Duke and Leckie, Stoke City and Championship centre half Harry Souttar has emerged as another unsung hero of the tournament.
Superb against Tunisia and arguably even better against Denmark, Souttar has grown in confidence throughout, while his strength, height and aggressive tackling have helped Australia keep consecutive clean sheets after their initial mauling by France.
However, the defender will face a completely different challenge against Julian Alvarez, with the Manchester City striker renowned for his pace, movement and unerring eye for goal.
He showcased this superbly against Poland, and there’s no doubt that Souttar could struggle in the face of the forward’s mobility. This is a key battle, and one that we think Alvarez might pip given the quality of forward players around him.
⚡ Argentina vs Australia - The Head-to-Head Statistics
These two sides have never met at the FIFA World Cup finals, although they’ve played seven times in total across all competitions.
Argentina have won five of these, while drawing once and losing on a single occasion. Interestingly, this defeat occurred during their first ever meeting, when Australia thumped La Albiceleste 4-1 in the Bicentennial Gold Cup in 1988.
Two of these clashes came in the autumn of 1993, when the two contested a huge two-legged playoff to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.
The first of these was played in Sydney and resulted in a 1-1 draw, as the Aussies held a superb team featuring Fernando Redondo, Abel Balbo, Gabriel Batistuta and the incomparable Diego Maradona. However, Argentina won the return leg 1-0 two weeks later in a tense encounter in Buenos Aires, thanks to an own goal by Alex Tobin.
🥇 Argentina vs Australia Prediction - Who Will Win?
It’s hard to ignore the sheer number of seismic shocks we’ve seen during the World Cup, with Australia even delivering one of their own by beating Denmark and eliminating them from the group stage.
Argentina have also fallen victim to a surprise defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group C match, but notwithstanding this, it’s hard to envisage another shock unfolding at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Saturday.
Put simply, Scaloni’s men looked like they were starting to find their rhythm against an admittedly lacklustre Polish side, while it will be hard to Australia to limit their opponents’ time and space on the ball given their technical excellence and rising confidence.
Overall, we’re expecting a comfortable win for Argentina in normal time, with the scoreline dependent on how early they break the deadlock!
Our Argentina vs Australia match prediction: Argentina to win 2-0.
🔍 Our Argentina vs Australia Betting Tips?
Argentina are priced at an average of 1.20 to beat Australia, so there’s little value in backing them to win through straight match betting. Handicap wagering isn’t to be recommend, either, especially given the notoriously cagey nature of knockout football and the evident resilience of the Aussies.
You can also get on both sides not scoring at 1.45 with BetVictor, as Australia will find it hard to get hold of possession and sustain attacks against the superior opponents.
However, if you’re a true football betting enthusiast, we would recommend wagering on their being under 2.5 goals scored in the game, with this outcome priced at a market high of 2.15 with LeoVegas Sports.
🎁 Argentina vs Australia World Cup Free Bets
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✒️ Lewis Humphries - Sports Journalist, Tipster and Betting Expert
This Argentina vs Australia Prediction was written by Lewis Humphries. Lewis is a business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and online casino gaming. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms, while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands.
His content has also featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.
