Argentina coach has left Dybala and Higuain on the bench in both games and also put di Maria on the bench in a crucial fixture against Croatia. It’s well known that Dybala’s playing style is very much similar to Messi’s, and that they occupy very similar areas on the pitch. Were Dybala’s replacements; Acuna and Meza any better?
The answer is no and the manager should have noticed this and brought Dybala on earlier, so that he could make a substantial impact. Surely, Dybala would have played better than those two even when played out of his favoured position.
Argentina still has a decent chance to go through and Sampaoli must somehow devise a system to play Dybala and Messi along with one of Aguero or Higuain. These players are capable of pieces of individual brilliance, and they need to be on the pitch for a longer period than the likes of Acuna and Meza.