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If current form is anything to go by then Argentina are definitely going to be one of the strongest teams at the World Cup in Qatar later this year. Between 1991 and 1993, the nation's football team went on a 31 match unbeaten run and won two Copa America tournaments.
Now, they are closer than ever to matching that record and surpassing it. La Albiceleste are playing some fine football under head coach Lionel Scaloni. With their recent 3-0 win against Venezuela in the World Cup qualifiers, they have now extended their unbeaten run to 30 games.
Scaloni delivered the Copa America title after a long wait of 28 years. Now, there is hope that he can do the same against the best sides in the world and guide La Albiceleste to a final in Qatar. To achieve that, the head coach will have to ensure his team creates enough chances in every game and finishes them as well with a certain clinicality.
Here are the five Argentina players with the most assists in all competitions and ones that Scaloni could rely on to create goalscoring chances on the field.
#5 Angel Correa - 6 assists
Angel Correa is having one of his best seasons in an Atletico Madrid shirt. Although he's among the five Argentines with the most assists in all competitions, his goalscoring streak has been much more impressive. He has repaid Diego Simeone's faith on multiple occasions and has scored 12 goals this season.
With that tally, he has outscored the likes of Luis Suarez and Joao Felix, who are usually the team's go-through marksmen on most occasions. Correa has either played on the right-wing or more centrally in the second-striker role, performing noticeably better while playing in the latter position.
In terms of assists, the 27-year old would have liked to do better than his six, but this has been the sort of campaign where Atletico's form has been inconsistent. Correa scored a definite Puskas Award nominee against Villarreal when his outrageous strike from the halfway line landed between the sticks.
Simeone's system isn't really made for someone of the Argentine's abilities, but he still delivers impressive performances.
#4 Paulo Dybala - 6 assists
Paulo Dybala will not be a Juventus player next season and will move as a free agent to his new club, the identity of which remains unknown. At 28 years old, the Argentine is expected to be in his prime, playing the best football of his career and he would have, if not for the injuries suffered in the past two seasons.
This is Juve No.10's seventh season with the club, and the player has reached 25+ goal contributions in four of those seasons since his arrival in 2015. The striker has missed games due to muscular issues this season as well but has been successful in making a difference while on the field.
Dybala has scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 26 appearances across three competitions. Juventus have had four managers in the last four seasons and the identity of the team and philosophy has changed too often. The Argentine would likely choose a club that is more stable and has a better suited role for him.
#3 Nicolás González - 8 assists
Nicolas Gonzalez moved to Italian club Fiorentina last summer after three successful years with Stuttgart in Germany. The forward became Viola's record signing when he joined them for €23.5 million last summer. Big things are expected of him and he has been decent in his first Serie A season.
He has been utilized on either wing and has been able to influence the game in the final-third. The 23-year old has found the back of the net three times this season and his eight assists have all helped them gain crucial points.
Additionally, Gonzalez has been a tricky customer to deal with in the penalty box and has won his side two penalties as well. His turn of pace makes it difficult for defenders to stay with him and he is at his dangerous best on the counter-attack.
Gonzalez also stepped up to the occasion against Venezuela in the World Cup qualifier and got on the scoresheet in La Albicieste's 3-0 victory.
#2 Óscar Trejo - 9 assists
A name that is quite a surprise so high on this list, Oscar Trejo has had a great season in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano. The team as a collective have not been very impressive after earning promotion to the Spanish top-flight this season. They currently sit in 13th position with a six-point cushion from the relegation zone.
However, they do have a game in hand on all the sides that are below them in the points table. Trejo has been extremely crucial to the team and has used his entire experience to help his side stay afloat and away from relegation. The 33-year old -is the second-choice captain and has worn the armband on 14 occasions this season.
Trejo is a silent leader and rather than being too aggressive on the field, he likes to run the show from his attacking midfield position. He has reinvented himself this term, and that is reflected in his tally of nine assists and four goals this season. Trejo is very much the focal point of manager Andoni Iraola's tactics as most of the game flows through him.
#1 Lionel Messi - 11 assists
Talk about Argentina without mentioning Lionel Messi? What a crime! It does not take a genius to figure out that the former Barcelona talisman is having an off spell in France with Paris Saint-Germain. Yet, none of his national compatriots have been able to take advantage of this and beat him to the top spot.
The 34-year old is still very much the best Argentine playmaker and assist provider with his 11 for the season so far. Age finally seems to be catching up with Messi, who has only made 26 appearances this season, missing out due to knee problems and other fitness issues.
There was a lot of excitement to see him paired with former teammate Neymar and French sensation Kylian Mbappe, but the famed 'MSM' trio has not really clicked as per expectations. Rumors of a dramatic return to Barcelona next season are catching fire, with Xavi opening the doors for Messi, but these are all still rumors.
Perhaps next season, with Mbappe gone, PSG might function more like a team that is built and revolves around the Argentina captain.
