Argentina striker Angel Correa. (Photo : Getty Images)
Two high-profile squads, Portugal and Argentina, are scheduled to collide in at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, August 4 in the second game of Group D's opening matches in the football tournament of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
Senior team superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may not be around to compete in the said match, but both squads' under-23 players are certainly capable of pulling off a highly-entertaining match for the fans to watch.
Head coach Rui Jorge's youth team is not expected to duplicate the senior squad's title-winning run in the recent Euro 2016, but they are favored to at least advance in the quarterfinals in this tournament.
Portugal has Udinese midfielder Bruno Fernandes as its best player and team captain in these Games while other familiar names include Manchester United's Joel Castro Pereira and Liverpool's Tiago Ilori.
The team's overage players are less to be desired if one has to consider the depth of talent of Selecção Olímpica's senior squad, ESPN indicated. Featured in this group as their seniors are former U-21 skipper and current Porto midfielder Sergio Oliveira, Nacional striker Salvador Agra, and free agent winger Andre Martins, who is the team's most experienced member.
Portugal qualified in the Olympics by placing second to Sweden in last year's UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Meanwhile, Argentina won the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship to qualify in the Olympics, beating Uruguay, 2-1, in the final at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
The team is coming off a goalless tie with the Mexico U-23 squad at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, Mexico to wrap up their final exhibition match before the Games, Fox News reported.
The Albicelestes is bannered by Atletico Madrid star striker Angel Correa with his frontline attacking partners Giovanni Simeone of Genoa and Cristian Espinoza of Villarreal.
On defense, manager Julio Olarticoechea has team captain Victor Cuesta, one of only two overage players for the Argentinians, while Manchester City target Geronimo Rulli of Real Sociedad keeper will man the goal.
The game is too close to call since both squads are evenly matched when it comes to skill and roster depth. It can go either way depending on the breaks of the game.
The predicted result is a tough 2-1 win for either Portugal or Argentina.
Portugal starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Varela; Esgaio, Ilori, Figueiredo, Ie; Andre, Fernandes, Oliveira; Salvador, Mane, Paciencia
Argentina starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Rulli; Giannetti, Cuesta, Soto, Gomez; Romero, Arzura, Martinez; Simeone, Correa, Espinoza
