UAE vs. Argentina (Wednesday, 12.00am)
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Argentina will round off their preparations for the 2022 World Cup with a friendly against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday afternoon.
Lionel Scaloni's side are among the favourites for the upcoming tournament in Qatar, and they will be bidding to enter the competition off the back of a positive result and performance in this contest.
We say: United Arab Emirates 0-3 Argentina
The result is not too important for either side on Wednesday, but Argentina will not want to enter the World Cup off the back of a poor performance and result. We are expecting this to be a relatively comfortable match for Scaloni's side, who should have too much quality all over the pitch for their opponents.
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Ivory Coast vs. Burundi (Wednesday, 1.00pm)
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Ivory Coast will be looking to make it four straight wins in all competitions when they take on Burundi in an international friendly on Wednesday afternoon.
The Elephants have failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with the team instead building towards the Africa Nations Championship, which will begin in the middle of January.
We say: Ivory Coast 3-1 Burundi
Ivory Coast will expect to put another victory on the board here considering the strength of their squad. Burundi will fancy their chances of finding the back of the net, but the Elephants should be far too strong for their opponents in this contest.
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Oman vs. Germany (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Germany's final match ahead of the 2022 World Cup will see them take on Oman in an international friendly on Wednesday evening.
Hansi Flick's side are building towards their tournament opener against Japan on November 23, while they will also take on Spain and Costa Rica in the group stage of the competition.
We say: Oman 0-3 Germany
Germany boss Flick's main focus for this match will be to get through it without suffering any injuries; he will also be looking for a positive result and performance, though, an we are expecting the European nation to record a comfortable victory on Wednesday.
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> How Germany could line up against Oman
Croatia vs. Saudi Arabia (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Saudi Arabia and Croatia will finalize their preparations for the 2022 World Cup with a friendly battle in Riyadh on Wednesday evening.
The Green Men most recently drew 1-1 with Panama in an exhibition game last Thursday, while Zlatko Dalic's men have not been in action since beating Austria 3-1 in the UEFA Nations League back in September.
We say: Saudi Arabia 0-2 Croatia
Saudi Arabia have demonstrated defensive acumen and a lack of ruthlessness in equal measure in recent months, and the latter should prove costly against an in-form Croatia XI.
Both managers may avoid risking their biggest stars for long periods this week, but the Chequered Ones should still have no trouble getting the job done before the big one begins.
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Czech Republic vs. Faroe Islands (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Czech Republic will be looking to end a run of four straight defeats when they take on Faroe Islands in an international friendly on Wednesday evening.
The home side have not qualified for the finals of the World Cup, with their next competitive football set to take place next March, as they begin their qualification campaign for Euro 2024.
We say: Czech Republic 2-0 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands deserve a lot of respect for their recent form, and they will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 victory over Turkey at the end of September. Czech Republic have a strong squad available for this game, though, and we are expecting the home side to emerge victorious on Wednesday night.
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Austria vs. Andorra (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Austria face Andorra in an international friendly match in Malaga, Spain, on Wednesday.
Neither side have qualified for the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar, but both have European Championship qualifiers to prepare for in March 2023.
We say: Austria 3-0 Andorra
Austria should have far too much quality for their opponents on Wednesday, with their players likely to be angry about their lack of involvement at the World Cup.
However, Andorra have undoubtedly improved in recent years, and may not be beaten by the scoreline many might expect.
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Poland vs. Chile (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Poland's preparations for the 2022 World Cup come to a conclusion when Chile visit the Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw for an international friendly on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the visitors will not be present at the Qatar tournament after failing to make it out of the ever-competitive South American qualifying.
We say: Poland 3-1 Chile
As much as Poland will want to enter the World Cup on a high, Michniewicz could do without losing some key names to injury, and the hosting manager will certainly rotate heavily during the match.
With Sanchez in strong form at club level, Chile will hope to consign their recent scoreless streak to history, but Berizzo's leaky crop are still unlikely to experience much joy in Warsaw.
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Turkey vs. Scotland (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Turkey will be looking to end a run of two matches without a win when they take on Scotland in an international friendly on Wednesday at the Diyarbakir Stadium.
Neither nation qualified for the finals of the World Cup, and they will both aim to take the opportunity to get some final preparation in before Euro 2024 qualifying begins.
We say: Turkey 1-1 Scotland
With both sides looking to put on a positive display before Euro 2024 qualifying commences, we expect an entertaining encounter with plenty of chances at both ends of the pitch.
Nevertheless, Turkey and Scotland will cancel each other out and will not be separated on the day, which will result in a draw at the Diyarbakir Stadium.
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Moldova vs. Azerbaijan (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Moldova host Azerbaijan in an international friendly match on Wednesday.
Neither nation qualified for the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar, but both sides have Euro 2024 qualifying matches in March to prepare for.
We say: Moldova 0-1 Azerbaijan
It is hard to envisage many goals being scored between two limited outfits, but we expect Azerbaijan to edge a tight encounter.
The visitors are playing at a higher Nations League level for a reason, with their superior international ranking suggesting that they should be able to beat Moldova.
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Kosovo vs. Armenia (Wednesday, 5.00pm)
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Kosovo host Armenia in an international friendly match on Wednesday.
Neither side have qualified for the forthcoming World Cup, but both nations have Euro 2024 qualifiers in March to prepare for.
We say: Kosovo 1-1 Armenia
Neither side have named a fully-strength squad by any means, so there are likely to be plenty of nerves on display, especially from the inexperienced players.
As such, we would not be surprised to see both sides settle for a draw should the match be heading that way, especially with little riding on the game beyond pride.
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Cyprus vs. Bulgaria (Wednesday, 6.00pm)
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While 32 nations are currently preparing for the World Cup, Cyprus and Bulgaria are scheduled to go head to head in an international friendly in Larnaca on Wednesday.
Both teams are playing their first matches since completing disappointing campaigns in the UEFA Nations League.
We say: Cyprus 1-1 Bulgaria
Cyrpus play much better on familiar territory and will give themselves every chance of recording a morale-boosting victory on Wednesday. However, Bulgaria are a team who are on an upward curve, leading us to predict a competitive share of the spoils.
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Gibraltar vs. Liechtenstein (Wednesday, 6.00pm)
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Gibraltar take on Lichtenstein in an international friendly at the Victoria Stadium on Wednesday night.
It is the sixth occasion that the two countries have squared off, with the visitors only managing to pick up one win in the previous encounters.
We say: Gibraltar 1-0 Liechtenstein
Based off previous encounters, Gibraltar seem to have a slight edge on their opponents, so we expect them to win by a narrow margin. It will be a closely contested match, so they may well win in the same fashion as they did last time out.
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Mexico vs. Sweden (Wednesday, 7.30pm)
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In their final encounter ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Mexico take on Sweden in a friendly on Wednesday at Estadi Montilivi in Spain.
The last time these sides faced off was at the previous World Cup, when the Swedes overtook El Tri for first place in Group F thanks to a 3-0 victory.
We say: Mexico 1-1 Sweden
Mexico were much better in the attacking third a week ago, but they were playing a side in Iraq who are not nearly as well-organised defensively as the Swedes are, and it seems as though El Tri are missing a midfield general who can take control of a game.
On the opposite side, Sweden seem to have lost some confidence since missing the World Cup, and we do not expect they will find too many openings on Wednesday.
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Algeria vs. Mali (Wednesday, 7.30pm)
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In the first of two international friendlies in the space of three days, Algeria face off against Mali at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex on Wednesday.
With neither team featuring at this year's World Cup, they will be looking to put on a show for their supporters albeit in a less competitive environment.
We say: Algeria 3-1 Mali
Despite nothing significant to play for in this one, we expect both sides to be fully up for the clash which should give rise to an enthralling affair. That said, we fancy Algeria to come out on top as they boast the superior squad by a considerable margin.
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Albania vs. Italy (Wednesday, 7.45pm)
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Left on the sidelines as the World Cup plays out in Qatar, European champions Italy aim to continue their recent revival against Albania on Wednesday.
The teams meet in Tirana, as the Azzurri plot a path to defending their crown at Euro 2024 while building on recent Nations League success.
We say: Albania 1-2 Italy
Both sides will have one eye on the future this week, so a certain amount of experimentation could take place; creating a more open contest. Even so, Mancini's men boast sufficient quality across the pitch to both blood fresh talent and continue their recent renaissance with another win.
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Ben Knapton
