It’s hard to not watch domestic action but there are some remarkable fixtures lined up on the international front. Concerning the CONMEBOL, Venezuela is hosting Argentina at Estadio Monumental de Maturín on Thursday, October 10 for the crucial World Cup qualifiers. The last time both sides met was almost two years ago, on March 26, 2022, that too for the qualifiers. That fixture saw La Albiceleste secure a 3-0 win over La Vinotinto.

Argentina enters this clash with a bittersweet form. During the September friendlies, they secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Chile. However, the latter qualifier match saw them endure a narrow 2-1 defeat over Columbia, who took their own revenge for the Copa America final loss against Lionel Scaloni’s side. Yet, that saw the World Champions retain the top spot at the World Cup qualifiers table with 18 points [6W-0D-2L].

Meanwhile, Venezuela enters the fixture with a rather poor form. During their September matches, Fernando Batista’s side endured a shocking 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bolivia, followed by a stalemate against Uruguay. Hence, it would be interesting to see if they manage to pose some problems for Argentina. Currently, Venezuela occupies the 6th position in the World Cup qualifiers table with 10 points [2W-4D-2L].

Venezuela vs Argentina: Team news

Venezuela

Luckily, Venezuela will be hosting the recent Copa America champions by retaining a healthy squad. All the major names are available for the October window and Fernando Batista is expected to retain a similar lineup as he did in the previous month’s friendly matches. All eyes will be on Salomón Rondón as the Liga MX’s Pachuca forward will be looking to get his name on the scoresheet.

Argentina

Lionel Messi is one of the biggest returnees in La Albiceleste’s roster. The Argentinian skipper was last seen in action for his beloved country during the Copa America finals as he was forced off the pitch due to an ankle injury. This also saw him miss last month’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Columbia.

However, the 37-year-old who is coming as an MLS Supporters’ Shield victor with Inter Miami would be looking to showcase his best. Speaking on behalf of others, Nicolás González, Paulo Dybala, Marcos Acuña and Alejandro Garnacho are all out for this window due to their respective injuries. 

Predicted lineups

Venezuela [4-1-4-1]: Romo; Aramburu, Osorio, Ferraresi, Navarro; Casseres Jr.; Bello, J. Martinez, Segovia, Soteldo, Rondon

Argentina [4-4-2]: E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez; De Paul, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Lo Celso; Messi, Lautaro Martinez

Head-to-head stats for Argentina vs Venezuela

Total matches: 14

Won by Venezuela: 2

Won by Argentina: 10

Draw: 2

Argentina may have endured its second defeat in the WC qualifiers, but they have Lionel Messi as one of the biggest boosts for the clash. Though Venezuela does have the potential to stun the World Champions, that won’t be enough to clinch the three points. We reckon the score will be Venezuela 1-3 Argentina.

Watch Venezuela Vs Argentina on TV channels and livestream

Fans in the United States can catch the action live on Fox Sports. Meanwhile, the live stream is available on Fubo TV.

Who do you think will win? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!