Italy vs. Argentina: Key Battles to Watch as Messi and Co. Face Balotelli, Pirlo

When San Lorenzo-supporting Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was promoted to Pope status in March 2013, the devout Catholic manager of the Azzurri, Cesare Prandelli, came up with the idea of arranging a friendly between his side and the Albicelestes.

Prandelli explained his thought process to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, as reported by Joe Wright on goal.com:

"

It was just a sudden flash, after watching Pope Francis and his first appearances in public.

The thought of "his countries", Italy and Argentina, immediately entered my head.

Two squads leaving together, from the same hotel, to have an audience full of joy and happiness with the Pope. The two footballing federations worked together to get it done. And, on Tuesday, it will take place.

"

What will no doubt be a joyous occasion for Catholics should also provide plenty of entertainment for football fans as these two exciting sides go head-to-head in honor of Pope Francis.

Here we take a look at what will be some of the key matchups in this glamour clash in Rome on Wednesday.

Italian Defending vs. Lionel Messi

There is still some doubt as to whether Argentina's attacking dynamo Lionel Messi will take the field on Wednesday, as he is suffering from a niggle in his left thigh, but both Albiceleste and Azzurri supporters must be hoping he gets the all-clear from the team physios.

The matchup between Messi and Italy's best defensive players is a truly enticing one.

Until "La Pulga" orchestrated a 4-0 demolition of Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals on the day before Bergoglio was elected Pope by the papal conclave, there were questions as to whether the world's top player could produce his best game against Italian teams.

Before that game, Messi had often found the highly organized Italian defenses he came up against while playing for Barcelona tricky to negotiate, and although he still produced the odd moment of magic, he was kept relatively quiet.

As Kris Voakes and Carlo Garganese explained in an excellent goal.com article back in April 2012, Italian sides managed to contain Messi with aggressive midfield marking coupled with solid back pairings.

If the Argentine captain plays on Wednesday, Prandelli will most likely be betting on a similar formula to prevent him from wreaking havoc.

Midfield hard-men Daniele De Rossi and Claudio Marchisio are as well-equipped as anybody to throw Messi off his game, and Italy's back line, led by Giorgio Chiellini, will no doubt make things as difficult as possible for the little maestro.

Balotelli vs. Fernandez and Garay

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has made it clear with his selections over the past 18 months that he is keen to build rapport between his two favored central defenders, Federico Fernandez and Ezequiel Garay.

Under previous managers the albiceleste back line underwent much chopping and changing in recent years, as no centre-backs really put their hands up to nail down a starting berth.

Sabella, however, early on in his tenure chose two young defenders who displayed the attributes he wanted at the back, namely physicality combined with sound on-ball skills, and stuck with them as his first-choice pairing.

Neither would be described as "world class," though Garay may earn that label if he continues on his current trajectory, but the Argentine manager's faith in them has seen a gradual improvement in performances as they grow as a defensive unit.

They now form a solid foundation for Argentina at the back, but their understanding and composure will be given a real test by Italy's brilliant strike weapon, Mario Balotelli.

Super Mario is particularly threatening because of his unpredictable flair, which is something that can trouble any defender in the world.

Garay and Fernandez will have to ensure their wits are at their sharpest, and communication between them is constant and clear, in order to deal with the Balotelli menace.

Argentina's Left-Back vs. Antonio Candreva and Christian Maggio

One of the highlights of the Confederations Cup in June was the exciting wide play of the Italians.

Prandelli shuffled his lineup depending on the opponent, but the likes of Christian Maggio, Antonio Candreva and Emanuele Giaccherini were all superb performers for the Azzurri as they bombed up and down the flanks.

Argentina, meanwhile, have a long-running problem at left-back.

Marcos Rojo of Sporting Lisbon has been the player most frequently selected in the role by Sabella, but his displays have ranged from acceptable to innocuous to sloppy.

Others who could slot in at left-back against the Italians are Cristian Ansaldi or the polyfunctional Pablo Zabaleta, but whoever gets the job is sure to have his hands full.

Expect Candreva and the overlapping Maggio to target Argentina's left-sided defender at every opportunity.

Prandelli is sure to have identified the albiceleste's most obvious weakness and will target it with his in-form wide men.

Andrea Pirlo vs. Javier Mascherano

In possibly the most intriguing duel of this friendly international, Italy's Andrea Pirlo will test his sublime playmaking skills against Argentina's tenacious talisman, Javier Mascherano.

If harassment was the most valued skill in the game, Mascherano would have several Ballon d'Or by now, and on Wednesday, he will be doing everything in his powers to curtail the influence of the Azzurri's linchpin.

Pirlo is a genius when it comes to creating time and space for himself, while Mascherano is superb at closing opponents down.

Whoever wins this battle will lay the platform for his team to win the match.