Argentina devises a strategy to tightly mark Yamal ahead of the crucial Qatar showdown

Argentina has developed a special plan to neutralize Lamine Yamal as Spain faces the Copa America champions in the highly anticipated Finalissima in Qatar.

Argentina's strategy to nullify Lamine Yamal in the La Finalissima match is gradually being revealed as the current Copa America champions prepare to face Spain in Qatar next month. This is seen as a high-level clash between the European and South American champions, akin to a modern version of the old Intercontinental Cup. The spotlight of the match is not only the battle between two top teams but also the first direct encounter between Barcelona’s young talent and Lionel Messi at the international level.

Argentina enters the match as the reigning Finalissima champions after their 3-0 victory over Italy at Wembley in 2022, with goals from Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, and Paulo Dybala. In this rematch, the biggest challenge for coach Lionel Scaloni is to find a way to limit the influence of Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old winger who is already regarded as one of the world’s top stars.

According to Argentine media, Scaloni plans to assign a high-energy midfielder to frequently drop back and support the left-back whenever Yamal has the ball. This setup will create a "two-on-one" situation on Spain’s right flank, forcing Yamal to face constant pressure and reducing the space he has to maneuver. Despite often being tightly marked in La Liga, the young Barcelona star has scored 10 goals and provided 8 assists this season, demonstrating that completely shutting him down will not be easy.

Meanwhile, at the club level, Barcelona is under significant pressure in the La Liga title race. A heavy defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey left coach Hansi Flick dissatisfied, especially with the lackluster first-half performance. He admitted the team “learned a lesson” after being completely dominated by the opponent in terms of spirit and intensity.

Flick has urged his players to respond strongly, starting with their away game against Girona. The German coach believes that when the team plays cohesively and maintains high intensity, Barcelona can compete for every title. With Yamal currently in impressive form, Blaugrana hopes he will not only shine in La Liga but also carry that confidence into the major clash against Argentina in Qatar.