With changes, the 11 that Scaloni thinks for the final with Mexico

It’s not just another team. It is the most important of all. The one who will play against anguish, nerves, pressure, necessity, the one who will have to go to Qatar or die, because a defeat can leave the National Team out of the World Cup, right now, on the second date. For this reason, Lionel Scaloni tried a lot in the last practice he did at the University of Qatar. And for this reason, he was adding variants to the variants, even during the rehearsal. But there is a formation that could be confirmed in these hours, all within a framework of great secrecy.

The 11 that the coach has in his head would not come out of these names: Dibu Martinez; Montiel, Otamendi, Alexander Martinez, Coin; De Paul, Paredes or Guido Rodriguez, Mac Allister or Enzo Fernandez; Di Maria, Lautaro and Messi.

In principle, it would be between four and five changes. A trend that was the first that began to show itself hours after the defeat against Saudi Arabia, which later seemed to fade and that in practice this Friday, the last one before the clash with Mexico, came back to life.

Although the DT wants to support his spine, The situation of Leandro Paredes leaves him with many doubts, who did not reach the World Cup in his best physical or football version. And for this reason, although it was the fifth of his cycle, the need for the stage could leave him out.

If Paredes leaves, it would be the most substantial change. The DT would not break, because it maintains a large part of its base, but it would move the shelf strongly. Perhaps thanks to the departure of Cuti Romero. The reason, in short, would be similar: to prioritize physical and football news over the weight of the last name. With the defender and with the midfielder, Scaloni already showed the cards against Saudi Arabia. Both left the court early.

With the passing of the hours, moreover, the possibility of a surprise was also gaining strength, which was sought not to spread from the inside out. Will Guido Rodríguez be the option for Paredes’ position? For now, he was always his natural replacement. He appears with chances.

If it’s Guido who gets five, Enzo Fernández (another who can occupy that role) would go on to compete with Mac Allister for the vacancy of the third midfielder, in that place that Scaloni knew that it was going to be difficult for him to replace due to the loss of Lo Celso. For this reason, between the former River and the former Boca they would fight for a place.

What is almost a fixed thing is that the two full-backs will leave the team: neither Molina nor Tagliafico would continue on the team. And there, Scaloni would once again trust the two who played in the Copa América final, against Brazil: Montiel and Acuña. A way, too, to return to the sources in another all-or-nothing match, although in short it would be changing three of the four debut defenders. Another sign, also, of the impact of the coup against Saudi Arabia…