The national voter, Vladimir Petkovic, has begun to put the final touches on his technical and tactical options that he will rely on during the 2026 World Cup finals, especially in the expected opening match against the world champion Argentina, on June 17, a match that requires the technical staff of the “Greens” to prepare specially, given the strength of the opponent and the quality of its stars.
It seems that the first tactical decision that the Swiss coach began to install was to return to a defensive system based on three players in the center, an option that he had previously tried on several occasions with the aim of ensuring defensive depth and reducing the danger of competitors, in anticipation of stopping the striking attacking force of Argentina led by Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Julián Alvarez, and it is the option that he is expected to return to today on the occasion of the last friendly preparatory match against the Bolivia national team.
The Argentine national team had confirmed its readiness for the World Cup, after yesterday, it defeated the Iceland national team by a complete three-point victory in its last friendly match, issuing an early warning to its competitors, which will reinforce Petkovic’s conviction of the necessity of arranging its defensive calculations in anticipation of a test that will be one of the most difficult that the national team faces at the beginning of its international journey.
The national team had previously tried the game plan with three defenders in the center during several matches, most notably the friendly confrontation against Uruguay, last March, when it relied on a defensive trio consisting of Issa Mandi on the right side of the center, and Ramy Bensebaini on the left side, with Zinedine Belaid as an outright center back, a combination that allowed the team to achieve an acceptable defensive balance against a strong competitor.
The same option was scheduled to be used in the last friendly match against the Netherlands, but the physical readiness of Ramy Bensebaini, who recently returned from injury, prompted Petkovic, in the absence of a suitable replacement with the same characteristics as the Borussia Dortmund defender, to adjust his calculations and temporarily abandon the option of playing with three defenders in the center, and rely on a defensive duo consisting of Issa Mandi and Zinedine Belaid.
It is expected that the friendly confrontation against Bolivia at dawn on Thursday will be a new opportunity for Petkovic to actually test this tactical drawing, especially since the match appears to be a final “rehearsal” before the expected clash against the world champions, as the national voter seeks to determine the readiness of its players and the extent of the harmony of the new defensive system.
Almost certainly, the trio of Mandy – Belaid – Bensebaini remains the most prominent candidate to lead the back line for the “Greens” against Argentina, with greater freedom given to the players in the defensive and offensive roles, as Rayyan Ait Nouri is expected to occupy the left side, in exchange for relying on Youssef Belghali in the right side, within a plan that aims primarily to close the spaces and limit the danger of Messi and his companions, provided that this approach and this option will be reviewed in the second confrontation against the Jordanian national team, and a return to a less cautious and more daring plan in the field. Attacking against a weaker competitor on paper.
