Argentina looks to rebound from their loss to Morocco as they face Iraq. It is time to continue our 2024 Olympics Men’s Soccer odds series with an Argentina-Iraq prediction and pick.
Argentina is coming off a loss in their opening game. Soufinane Rahimi scored in stoppage time in the first half and then would add a penalty kick goal in the second half to take the 2-0 lead. Argentina would score in the 68th minute to make it a one-goal game. Then, in the 16th minute of stoppage time, Argentina looked to have scored. Then, fans threw objects onto the pitch and stormed it, resulting in teams leaving the field. After an hour and a half, it was decided the goal should be disallowed due to Argentina being offside. They would re-take the pitch, and Argentina would fail to score.
Meanwhile, Iraq faced Ukraine in their first game. Valentyn Rubchynskyi would score in the 53rd minute to give Ukraine the lead. Aymen Hussien would score on a penalty just four minutes later and then Ali Jasmin would add a goal in the 75th minute. That would give Iraq the win, and they would hold on to win the game 2-1.
Here are the 2024 Olympic Men’s soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2024 Olympics Odds: Argentina-Iraq Odds
Argentina: -280
Iraq: +700
Draw: +410
Over 2.5 goals: -164
Under 2.5 goals: +121
How to Watch Argentina vs. Iraq in Lyon
Time: 9:00 AM ET/ 6:00 AM PT
TV: Peacock
Stream: (Click Here for Free Trial)
Why Argentina Will Win
Argentina needs to get the offense going. This starts with Julien Alvarez. The Manchester City player is coming off a great season for Manchester City scoring 11 times in the season while having 37 shots on target out of 96 total shots. He also created plenty of opportunities. Alvarez created .51 goals per 90 minutes of play for Manchester City. Alvarez was solid in the first game but was not able to finish. He took three shots with one on target in the game. He also had the primary assist on another shot that was blocked.
Another player to watch is Thiago Almada. Almada comes into the contest after playing 17 matches for Atlanta United while starting 16 of them. He has been creating .78 goals per 90 minutes of play this year for Atlanta United. Almada continued to create chances for Argentina. He had three passes that led to shots. He also had one shot blocked and one on target. Further, Claudio Echeverri should be another threat to the team. He came on as a sub for Argentina and was solid in his short amount of time. He missed one shot and then assisted Thiago Almada on the shot that was blocked.
Geronimo Rulli is expected to be in goal for Argentina. The Jong Ajax goalie must be better in this one. He missed a save opportunity on the penalty but also allowed two goals on just three shots on target.
Why Iraq Will Win
Aymen Hussien scored the first goal of the game for Iraq. Hussien has been great for Iraq. On the international stage so far in 2024, he has played in nine games, scoring 11 goals. He has also scored 28 goals overall in 77 appearances for the national team. Hussien also had the first shot of the game, having his shot blocked in the second minute. He also assisted a shot on target in the tenth minute. Youssef Amyn got that shot off, and it was saved by the Ukrainian goaltender. He did not do much after going down with an injury, and although he stayed in the game, his only offensive action after the game was the penalty kick.
Ali Jasim had another goal for Iraq. In nine appearances for the under-23 team, he has scored seven times. Further, he has scored twice in 12 appearances for the national team. Jasim subbed into the game in the 58th minute against Ukraine He then scored in the 75th minute and had a shot blocked in stoppage time. This resulted in a corner, and he would assist Karrar Saad who hit the ball off of the post.
In goal, Hussein Hasan was solid. He faced five shots on target and allowed just one goal, stopping four shots. Still, he picked up a yellow card in the game and will need to be careful to not pick up a second of the tournament in this next match.
Final Argentina-Iraq Prediction & Pick
Iraq could be looking to advance here at the Olympics with a win. They picked up a win over Ukraine in the first match and now could secure a knockout birth if they win and Morocco wins as well. Argentina can get back into the tournament with a win. They are the better team in this one. Regardless of the outcome, there should be plenty of goals making the best play in this game on the over.
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Final Argentina-Iraq Prediction & Pick: Over 2.5 (-164)
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