Argentina vs Brazil preview: Without Lionel Messi, there could be more grit than glamour on show in Buenos Aires

There are few matches in world football that can capture the imaginations of fans around the globe quite as much as the old rivalry between Argentina and Brazil. 101 years on from their first ever meeting, the two nations have enjoyed more than their fair share of success and boasted a plethora of the greatest players to have ever played the game. A geographical and meritocratic rivalry has grown and on Thursday evening in the Estadio Monumental a new chapter will be written. It is not a clash of two all-time great sides but with both feeling the pressure of underwhelming starts to World Cup qualification, the hostility remains just as fierce.

Regardless of the situation or the personnel, Argentina against Brazil is an event and Thursday evening will be no different. La Albiceleste host their rivals coming off the back of two defeats in major tournament finals and current coach Gerardo Martino finds himself under a pressure last felt when he was hounded out of Barcelona after a trophyless season at the Camp Nou. His side is yet to establish a real identity, his selections have come under criticism and they are still without captain Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero because of injury. In their absence for the opening two World Cup qualifiers, Argentina looked desperately short going forward and as has been the case in recent times, in attempting to find a balance between attack and defence, La Albiceleste were ruthlessly exposed by Ecuador on the break.

Matters are not a great deal better in Brazil, although Dunga’s side did record a victory against Venezuela, to find themselves two points better off than Argentina and welcome back captain Neymar from suspension for the trip to Buenos Aires. Both sides have been missing their talismanic, Barcelona-based forwards during October’s qualifiers but while Messi still nurses his knee injury, Neymar looks to make up for lost time.

Dunga will be relieved to have the star of Brazilian football available as the 23-year-old remarkably narrows in on Zico and Romario in the all-time scoring charts but, like Martino, the dour head coach is yet to convince the Brazilian press and supporters. By the 52-year-old’s own admission this week, his side needs to “improve in every way” but the likelihood on Thursday is that Brazil will be set up in the image of himself – battle-hardened and efficient rather than beautiful. Perhaps some way down the line, Dunga can establish more of an expansive Brazil but in the Monumental that is unlikely to happen. Almost in preparation for this, Dunga ominously told reporters: “Whenever Brazil plays Argentina, it is a war.”

Surprisingly it is ten years since the last time Brazil visited the Monumental and meanwhile the lucrative fixture has been shipped out to London, Doha, the USA and Beijing for friendlies and to Rosario for the last World Cup qualifying campaign in 2009. In 2005, en route to qualifying for the World Cup in Germany, Argentina defeated Brazil 3-1 thanks to a Hernan Crespo brace and another from Juan Roman Riquelme. That Jose Pekerman-led side was perhaps more talented and certainly far more settled than Martino’s Argentina of today and a lot has happened since that night ten years ago.

Brazil’s thumping victory over Argentina in the 2007 Copa America final was painful but last year’s World Cup in Brazil allowed La Albiceleste to revel in their old foe’s embarrassment and reopen old scars. As Luis Felipe Scolari’s side were dumped out at the hands of Germany and Brazilian football had to come to terms with the lowest point in their history, the loudest voices to be heard on the streets of Rio de Janiero were Argentine and they were singing – “Brasil, decime que se siente” (Brazil, tell me how it feels). Every Argentine dreamed of lifting a third World Cup on Brazilian soil and the prospect of that was horrifying for Brazil. Brazilian football writer, Newton Cesar Santos wrote, “This would be every Brazilians worst nightmare. Let anybody win, but not Argentina.”

Thankfully for Brazil, Mario Gotze’s late winner in the Maracana saved them this indignity and left Argentina once again cursing their luck. On Thursday night there is nothing as lofty as the World Cup or the Copa America at stake but this is continental superiority and in the current circumstances the opportunity to really turn the screw on the enemy. A victory in the Monumental would certainly silence many of Dunga’s detractors and unless Martino can find the way to replace Messi in attack while remaining compact enough to stifle Neymar and co, the selacao may well claim the bragging rights. Should Argentina travel to Colombia next week still winless in qualifying, not only will nerves be on edge but Martino will find his position under even greater scrutiny.