Nathan Ake will face Lionel Messi. Messi of Argentina would be a good task to mark, according to Nathaniel Ake, who also cautioned his Netherlands teammates to be cautious of Julian Alvarez. On Friday, December 9, the two teams will square off in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. Messi is the talisman of Argentina going into every game. It’s not surprising that the center-back for Manchester City is aware of the playmaker’s threat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
He has also called attention to Alvarez’s advantages, a player he is familiar with given that they were teammates at the Etihad. Alvarez was acquired by City from River Plate last year, and he was loaned back to the Argentine team for the 2021–22 campaign. In 20 games across several competitions for his new club, he has seven goals and two assists to his credit. He scored for La Albiceleste in their 2-0 victory over Poland in the group stage before adding another in their 2-1 triumph over Australia in the round of 16.
Speaking to the media before the Netherlands’ quarterfinal matchup against Argentina, Ake acknowledged that containing Messi will be a “good task.” The former Chelsea defender responded to Alvarez’s threat by saying, “It will be challenging. He’s a player who is highly technical, very difficult to mark even in training, very sharp, and terrific finishing.” In addition to being a terrific footballer, he is a fantastic person. He speaks rather quietly.
The speaker continued, “He’s still learning English and comes from a foreign environment so it’s all new for him, but he’s fitting in pretty well.” Cody Gakpo is a talented striker who plays for the Netherlands. The PSV Eindhoven striker scored one goal in each of the three group-stage contests for his squad. Alvarez, on the other hand, is anticipated to start for the two-time World Cup champions after being selected for the starting XI in their most recent two matches.
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