Lionel Scaloni insists Argentina won't take Cape Verde lightly in Round of 32 meeting

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] are the smallest nation ‌to ever qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup after three draws against European champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]‌Spain[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saudi-arabia/biSY8ox4/"]Saudi Arabia[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] enter the knockout rounds after a near-flawless group-stage ‌campaign and though Scaloni acknowledged the excitement surrounding his side, he stressed that his players ‌are treating Cape Verde with the utmost respect.[/p][p]"[b]We're in a good moment, but ‌now the margins are very small. This is a match where if you lose, you're out. We know that[/b]," Scaloni told reporters on Thursday.[/p][image alt="Argentina are huge favourites against Cape Verde" id="7387622e-d44e-46f5-8d5b-83caef342327" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="8f2673ba-a193-43d7-b5e8-9aa2e4f7a327" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]"[b]They're a good team. We've already watched them, not just ‌because we are playing against them, but because we ⁠were analysing potential opponents and then they ‌qualified[/b].[/p][p]"[b]We are not surprised, to be honest. They are a good team, and they are ​not here by chance. We must respect them and that's what we will do[/b]."[/p][p]While Cape Verde are unbeaten on the back of their strong defensive ​tactics, they failed to win a match in the group stage and Scaloni said there were games the disciplined African side deserved to win.[/p][p]"[b]Against Saudi Arabia, they ⁠deserved to win. Against Spain and ​Uruguay, maybe they suffered a bit more, but they defended well[/b]," Scaloni explained.[/p][p]"[b]They also closed down the inside channels and they are really good on the counter-attack. They have skilled players[/b]."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/cape-verde-MocyWdm7/?mid=O4oeJu9d"]Follow the match with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][h2]Over-reliance on Messi?[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] has scored six of Argentina's eight goals to top ‌the tournament's scoring charts along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a].[/p][p]But Scaloni dismissed concerns over their reliance on Argentina's talisman for goals, emphasising that the team continues to create numerous scoring opportunities regardless of who finishes them.[/p][p]"[b]Of course, everything he does is more visible, but there is one more striker in the team[/b]," Scaloni said.[/p][p]"[b]We do create chances and Leo Messi, apart from being a great player, he's a striker. Whether he plays with Julian ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Alvarez[/a]) or Lautaro ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paz-martinez-nicolas/GG6EYRT0/"]Martinez[/a]), we will try for all of them to score just as anyone else[/b]."[/p][image alt="Messi is the World Cup top scorer" id="61e6620c-324a-4f6e-9b69-0fcaae21c7e2" credit-line="SOPA Images, SOPA Images Limited / Alamy / Profimedia / Opta by StatsPerform" guid="d6017288-99fd-427a-90dc-24dc3207a93d" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Messi did not start the last group game as Scaloni ‌gave him a rest before the knockout stage and he is expected to return ​to the starting lineup.[/p][p]But when asked about Messi's fitness and the possibility of ‌extra time in the stifling heat of Miami, Scaloni declined to speculate on how many minutes the 39-year-old would play.[/p][p]"[b]I don't think it really makes sense to reply to this now. I don't know how the match is going to be, how he's going to be feeling[/b]," he said.[/p][p]"[b]He's been playing very ⁠well. I hope that everything will ⁠go well, but it will depend ‌on how the match goes and how he feels[/b]."[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]