BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — It’s labelled as a friendly, but there’s plenty of prestige at stake in today’s game between World Cup champion Spain and Argentina, a country some had picked to win the title in South Africa.

Spain will play with much the same squad that won the World Cup. And Argentina will lead their attack with Lionel Messi, the Barcelona forward who will be facing several teammates on the Spanish side led by Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and David Villa.

Interim Argentina coach, Sergio Batista, could solidify his chances of landing the permanent job with a strong showing against Spain, who are expected to draw a sellout crowd of 65,000 to River Plate’s Monumental stadium.

“With Messi, I’d prefer to have him on my side,” Iniesta told reporters yesterday. “Leo (Messi) always plays well. He is a unique talent, a destabilising threat.”

As outstanding as Messi usually is with Barcelona, he has been less successful with Argentina. In the World Cup, FIFA’s 2009 Player of the Year failed to score and was a non-factor in Argentina’s 4-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Along with a new coach, Argentina have several new faces — or old faces — on the squad who were not selected by Diego Maradona for his 23-man World Cup team.

Maradona’s 19-month tenure ended when the Argentine Football Association declined to renew his contract just weeks after the World Cup ouster, asking Batista to step in until a permanent coach is named. That is expected after an AFA selection committee meets in October.

Batista has called in Inter Milan teammates Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso. Zanetti is likely to start in defence and Cambiasso may fill in at midfield. Batista has also called in playmaker Andres D’Alessandro from Brazil club Internacional — the Copa Libertadores champions.

Many other faces from the World Cup will play including Messi, strikers Carlos Tevez, Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero, midfielder Javier Mascherano and defender Martin Demichelis.

“Argentina is in shape to beat us,” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. “They have players with great talent.”

Argentina defeated Ireland 1-0 last month in Batista’s coaching debut. AFA president Julio Grondona has said Batista was likely to be the full-time replacement unless “large problems” appear.

“Facing Spain is an important game, as much for Batista as for the players,” said Valencia midfielder Ever Banega, who was not on the World Cup team under Maradona.

“We will have the best team in the world facing us,” Banega said. “This is good chance to show that we are as good as anybody.”

Spain have played two matches since winning the World Cup — a 1-1 draw in a friendly last month against Mexico in Mexico City, and a 4-0 victory on Friday over Liechtenstein in a European Championship qualifying game. David Villa scored one of the goals, giving him 44 for Spain to equal the team record of Raul Gonzalez.

Gonzalez needed 102 games to reach the total and Villa did it in 66.

Argentina and Spain have played 12 times. Each team has won five with two draws. The last match was a friendly last year in Madrid, won 2-1 by Spain.

“The past is the past,” said Spain and Real Madird goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We have to start a new phase. This team demands the best out of itself.”