The only matchup in 2019 — a 4-3 goal frenzy, with Messi scoring twice

Argentina and Algeria have only faced each other once in history. It was a friendly match in June 2007, held at Camp Nou in Barcelona, with Argentina narrowly winning 4-3. At that time, Messi scored twice, while Tevez and Cambiasso each scored one goal.

That game was already 19 years ago. Back then, Messi was just a 20-year-old rookie, and Alvarez and Lautaro were still playing in Argentina's youth teams. Today’s Algeria is completely different from back then — they were just an ordinary African team, now they are a top-tier powerhouse in the African continent.

But one thing hasn't changed: Algeria has never been afraid of Argentina. Although they lost that 4-3 match, they scored three goals and pushed Argentina to the last moment. This psychological advantage of "not fearing a shootout with you" might play a role in the game.

However, speaking of it, the value of friendly matches is indeed limited. Both sides were training and not giving 100% effort. The World Cup qualifiers are a completely different story. Argentina will give their all, and Algeria will fight with everything they've got. The score from 19 years ago doesn’t tell us much, but it at least shows one thing: Algeria has never been intimidated when facing Argentina.

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