please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Argentina striker Sergio Aguero is ruled out by a thigh problem and is set to be replaced by Ezequiel Lavezzi. An alternative option for coach Alejandro Sabella is to bring in another central midfielder and switch from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2. Switzerland are without back-up striker Mario Gavranovic, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in training. Granit Xhaka may again start on the right wing, with Xherdan Shaqiri supporting lone striker Josip Drmic. Head-to-head Argentina are unbeaten in their six previous games against Switzerland (W4, D2). The most recent encounter was a friendly in Bern in February 2012 which the Argentines won 3-1 thanks to a Lionel Messi hat-trick. The only previous World Cup meeting came in the group stage of the 1966 tournament. Argentina won 2-0 in a game staged at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. Argentina La Albiceleste have been eliminated in just one of their six previous matches at the last-16 stage. That was their 3-2 defeat by Romania in 1994. Lionel Messi has scored 24 times in his last 23 games for Argentina. Messi can become the first Argentine to score in four successive World Cup matches since Guillermo Stabile at the inaugural tournament in 1930. Argentina are unbeaten in the last 24 games in which Messi has featured (W17, D7). Their 3-2 win against Nigeria on 25 June was the first World Cup match in which both teams scored in the opening five minutes. It was also just the third game in which both teams scored in the first five minutes of the second half. Switzerland All 11 of Switzerland's previous World Cup wins have come in the opening round. They have never won a match at a later stage of the tournament. However, because the format used in earlier tournaments was different, they have twice won knockout matches in the first round - eliminating Germany in 1938 and Italy in 1954. The Swiss reached the quarter-finals in three of the first five World Cups. Since then they have advanced to the last 16 twice, failing to score on both occasions - a 3-0 defeat to Spain in 1994 and 0-0 draw with Ukraine in 2006 (followed by defeat on penalties). They have only lost two of their last 21 matches (W14, D5). Xherdan Shaqiri scored the first left-footed hat-trick in World Cup history in the 3-0 win against Honduras. It was also the 50th hat-trick at a World Cup.
Messi has been very good. He's created chances and he's won the ball back constantly. The other players need to turn up. Mascherano has been good too. Di Maria has been woeful.
