Defending Champions Face Tricky European Opponent; Argentine Legend Raises Alarm

The 71-year-old 1978 World Cup winner described Ralf Rangnick as the "father of counter-pressing" and noted that Austria can rely on young players who consistently perform at a high level.

"Virtually all of them play in the top leagues in the world. That's why we have to be careful. David Alaba is the biggest star of the Austrian team. Unfortunately, he had a catastrophic year because he didn't play much due to injuries. However, that doesn't mean he's out of form now," Kempes continued, according to the ORF website.

The legendary Argentinian, who also played for several years in Vienna and St. Pölten late in his career, specifically highlighted the performances of Marcel Sabitzer, Marko Arnautović, Konrad Laimer, and Nicolas Seiwald.

"The Austrians have important midfielders who can impose their style on the game. Even so, I still think the most crucial element of the team is their coach, Rangnick," Kempes added.

Despite the Austrians having players capable of high-pressing football, Kempes still gives the edge to the Argentinian team, who began the tournament with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria thanks to a Lionel Messi hat-trick. The Austrians, meanwhile, defeated Jordan 3-1.

This means the winner of Monday's clash will secure progression to the knockout stage. "We have enough quality and experience in the team, so our intelligent players should know how to approach the match and play it as needed," Kempes concluded.

Mario Kempes played 44 matches for Argentina between 1973 and 1982, scoring 20 goals. Two of those came in the victorious 3-1 extra-time match against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final in Buenos Aires.

With a total of six goals, the then-Valencia player was the top scorer of the home championship tournament.