Top 5 international friendlies to watch

The rigours of club football would call armistice for the next week and a half in what would be last international break before the World Cup showpiece in Russia.

Abrupt and distracting as it is ahead of the final stretch of the 2017/18 season in world football, the latest one is packed to the rafters with some mouth-watering match-ups between the proverbial biggies in international football, giving the fans just enough reasons to be up late night once again.

For those expecting a humdrum week sans the club football shenanigans, here are the top 5 international friendlies to spice it all up.

#5 Portugal vs the Netherlands (March 27)

Whereas the Selecao batten down the hatches for the mega event with a string of tough games, the Netherlands are in it merely for experimentation, in the hope of a rebuild from the quagmire that it's left in following the agonizing failure to qualify for the World Cup.

However, that would be without the services of some old guards such as Arjen Robben and Wisley Sneijder, who called it a time in the aftermath of the disaster. But that also signals a new era in the Oranje camp as a new generation of players prepare to step up.

The test begins with a home game to England but will ramp up a bit against the reigning European champions Portugal, led by who else but Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid ace returns to the fold for the first time since October, when the qualifying phase concluded and would be chomping at the bit to get among the scoresheets again.

The match will be played at the neutral site in Geneva, where Stade de Geneve would play host.

#4 Italy vs Argentina (March 24)

Italy and Argentina were once great rivals having battled it out in 5 different World Cups

An unconventional match-up, these sides have met only twice since the World Cup in 1990 and both have come in this millennium. So it can be a refreshing spectacle to watch two of football's top shouts going head-to-head after a long time.

But Italy and Argentina however, were once great rivals having battled it out in as many as 5 different World Cups, all coming consecutively from 1974 till the aforementioned one where the latter lost in the finals to West Germany. But all that seems aeons ago now, as the Azzurris, forget contending for the crown, didn't even qualify for the 2018 edition while the Albiceleste will be aiming to go one better from where they finished last time.

So the stakes would naturally be low here, but the fact that this will be played out in the confines of the Etihad stadium should make it worth keeping an eye on, as its prodigal son Sergio Aguero would be looking to bag a goal or two here in the national colours for the first time.

#3 Germany vs Spain (March 24)

Germany and Spain have dominated world football in the last decade

The last two world champions have done enough in the qualifiers to go into the main event in Russia as favourites for the elusive Jules Rimet trophy. But this fixture might go some distance at hinting whose better equipped to live up to that expectation.

They last met in November 2014, Germany and Spain have dominated world football in the last decade, sharing the winners' medal in 5 of the last 7 international tournaments combined. That should be reason enough to tune into this match and witness a clash of this stature.

Even if both sides have been drawn in relatively tough groups, the odds are very much in their favour to progress. And the match in Dusseldorf should be a precursor to how the fortunes in the respective camps turn out.

#2 Germany vs Brazil (March 28)

Germany and Brazil will lock horns at the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin

The first thing that comes to mind once your eyes roll over this fixture is that fateful night in Belo Horizonte when Germany meted out a soul-crushing 7-1 defeat to hosts Brazil en route to becoming the world champions. And even though almost four years have passed since that epic clash, the memories remain vivid.

But here they go again; Germany and Brazil locking horns at the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin albeit there's little to fight for this time around. Both sides are through to Russia 2018 safe and sound, and this should be a small preview about which of these sides are better prepared for the tournament proper.

Whilst most of the stars from either side have made the cut into their respective squads to give this a glamorous appeal, the biggest miss here would be Neymar, who's currently serving his time in the treatment room in Brazil after fracturing his toe during a league game with PSG. A similar issue had kept him out of their semi-final clash that night, and I have already mentioned what happened to Brazil without him.

#1 Spain vs Argentina (March 28)

Spain and Argentina haven't met since 2010

Another top billing contest that puts two eminent nations at the loggerheads, what makes this tie truly special is the probability of witnessing Lionel Messi going against some of his Barcelona team-mates at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano.

The last time this happened, the Blaugrana astro inflicted the kind of damage he normally enjoys doing in club colours; bagging a brace in a lopsided 4-1 victory in 2010.

Spain and Argentina haven't met since but would hold nothing back in their latest encounter that promises so much.

Both teams enter the tie on the back of an encouraging run, as the Albiceleste have lost only once in the last one year, while La Roja are on an unbeaten run since being ousted from Euro 2016 in the 2-0 defeat to Italy.

Mark the dates in your calendar already!