It’s not just Messi, it’s this player who will struggle in the Netherlands: Dutch defender Nathan Ake

During training sessions at Manchester City, Ake found Julian Alvarez difficult to mark. When Argentina and the Netherlands square off at the FIFA World Cup 2022 on December 10, he expects his assignment to be even more difficult.

Ake is a regular in the Dutch defense and knows he will be up against more than Lionel Messi. Although every defender was concerned about Messi’s quick movements, there were times when other Argentine players took advantage of the opposition focusing heavily on Leo and scored goals themselves.

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Julian Alvarez has scored twice in the tournament, once against Australia and once against Poland. Meeting the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, he will try to score for the third game in a row.

Ake called the 22-year-old Argentine forward a “very technical” player who was “very difficult to mark even in training. Alvarez was Ake’s teammate at Manchester City. “He’s very smart, a great finisher. So it will be difficult to face him,” said the Dutch defender about Alvarez.

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According to Ake, the match between the Netherlands and Argentina will be a “good challenge” not only for the defenders but for the whole team. team. So we just have to make sure we are tactically very good, organized,” he added.

The Netherlands and Argentina will fight for a place in the final four and will face the winner of the Croatia vs Brazil match in the semi-finals on December 14.

(With agency inputs)