The World Cup voyage of the Mexicans started with a hard-earned draw against Poland. Less than 15 minutes into the second half, El Tri thought they were going to drop all three points in the game when Robert Lewandowski stood in the box to take a penalty. A brilliant save by World Cup veteran Guillermo Ochoa disallowed Poland their first goal of the campaign and kept the clean sheet for Mexico intact, giving them a vital point at the end of the match.

In the second match, Mexico faced a fiery Argentina side that was eager to bounce back after their shocking loss against Saudi Arabia. Skipper Lionel Messi struck minutes after the hour-mark before setting up Enzo Fernandez, three minutes from time to hand El Tri their first defeat of the tournament, thereby relegating them to the bottom of the table. The Mexicans are hanging by a thread now, and only a big victory can miraculously propel them into the last 16.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2022 - Lewandowski's Poland eye last-16 qualification after 36 years against Messi's Argentina

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, are level on points with Argentina, only behind the Latin Americans on goal difference. In the opener, the Arabian Falcons sent shockwaves across the football universe when they stunned the two-time winners after they came from behind and won 2-1. A Messi penalty fired Argentina ahead after just ten minutes. La Albiceleste led at the break before two quickfire goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari turned the game on its head and gave Saudi a momentous victory.

Just a win away from Round of 16 qualification, the Arabian Falcons failed to capitalize on the momentum as they missed a penalty and fired a blank in their next game, eventually going down 2-0 against Poland, keeping both qualification slots open for contest. Both Group C games will have an impact on both matches. To avoid nervy moments, Saudis are likely to be firing on all cylinders. At the same time, Mexico will peek into the history books and spot their stellar record against the Arabian Falcons which shows that El Tri are unbeaten against Saudi in their last five matches.

Also Read: Carthage Eagles look to hunt down reigning champions for a place in last 16

Team News: Saudi Arabia have no injury concerns. Mexico skipper Andres Guardado was forced off with an injury in the last match. The Real Betis midfielder could miss this crucial game.

Form Guide: (Last five matches, most recent first)

Saudi Arabia:

L - W - L - W - D

Mexico: L - D - L - W - L

Head-to-Head

Games Played: 5

Saudi Arabia Wins: 0

Mexico Wins: 4

Draw: 1

Betting Odds: (Bet365)

Saudi Arabia: 4.75

Mexico: 1.70

Draw: 4.00

Predicted Line-Ups:

Saudi Arabia Possible Starting 11 (4-1-4-1): Owais; Abdulhamid, Amri, Altambakti, Burayk; Kanno; Al-Buraikan, Al-Abid, Al-Najei, Al-Dawsari; Al-Shehri.

Mexico Possible Starting 11 (4-3-3): Ochoa; Sanchez, Moreno, Montes, Gallardo; Herrera, Alvarez, Chavez; Lozano, Jimenez, Vega.

Prediction:

Saudi Arabia 0 - 2 Mexico

Where to watch and match timing: The match will kick off at 12:30 AM IST on Thursday, December 01, and will be beamed live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. Fans can also stream the action online on JioCinema’s official website.

(Edited by : Prakhar Sachdeo)