Argentina are in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, where they meet the Netherlands next Friday. Coach Lionel Scaloni’s team defeated Al Rayyan Australia 2-1 (1-0) on Saturday night in front of 45,032 spectators at Al Rayyan’s Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Captain Lionel Messi scored in his 1,000th. Competitive game as a professional, his ninth World Cup goal (35th) and overtook Diego Maradona as Argentina’s World Cup record scorer.
Julian Alvarez scored the favorite’s second goal (57′), on the other side Enzo Fernandez deflected a shot from Craig Goodwin into his own goal (77′). In a bid for Messi to win his first World Cup in five attempts, the Albiceleste will face the Dutch in the last eight in Lusail next week. Elftal had beaten the USA 3-1 (2-0) in the afternoon.
As feared, Angel di Maria was missing from the South Americans’ starting XI. The 34-year-old veteran attacker is suffering from muscle problems in his thigh. He was replaced by Alejandro Gomez, who was the same age as Messi and Julian Alvarez. The Socceroos also made a change, with Keanu Baccus starting in place of Goodwin.
Those who had expected dominating Argentines were initially disappointed. The clear favorite from South America waited and did almost no pressing. Due to the lack of pressure, the Australians, who cleverly closed the spaces, were actually the more active team in the first 30 minutes. There were no chances on either side.
Since nothing came of the game, a standard was needed. The Scaloni team took advantage of the first good opportunity. After Messi’s free-kick near the corner flag, Australia coach Graham Arnold’s side failed to get the ball out of the danger zone. Rather by chance, the ball came back to the Argentinian captain and he hit the bottom left corner from a good 16 yards out. It was Messi’s first goal in a World Cup knockout phase.
In the second half, Argentina’s captain again knocked on the Australian goal with a low shot, but goalkeeper Mathew Ryan saved safely (50′). Seven minutes later, however, the Aussie keeper made a serious mistake: After a back pass, the 30-year-old goalkeeper from FC Copenhagen decided to dribble instead of batting the ball away. Pressed by Rodrigo de Paul, Ryan lost the ball to the rushing Alvarez, who only had to push into the empty goal. It was the second goal in Qatar for the 22-year-old Manchester City forward.
As a result, the “gauchos” only did what was absolutely necessary, and it took revenge. After a push from Aziz Behich down the left, the ball came to substitute Goodwin, who shot from a good 25 yards out. Fernandez deflected the rocket with his head and Emiliano Martinez couldn’t hold it (77′), the team from Down Under was back in the game. Four minutes later, Behich started a solo, leaving four Argentinians standing, but his shot was blocked in the penalty area at the last moment (80′).
Substitute Lautaro Martinez, on the other hand, missed the final decision three times (88th, 93rd, 95th), and Messi also missed two more opportunities. In the 97th minute, the only 18-year-old Garang Kuol missed the equalizer, he failed at the keeper. Against the Netherlands, Messi can continue to work on his legend in his 24th World Cup match – record player Lothar Matthäus has 25.
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Source: Nachrichten
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