CNN
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One more second of Lionel Messi magic helped salvage Argentina’s World Cup hopes at Qatar 2022 as La Albiceleste secured a much-needed victory over Mexico.
The two-0 win actually wasn’t fairly, with Argentina struggling to create many clear-cut possibilities towards a cussed Mexico staff that itself additionally supplied little or no menace going ahead.
Messi got here to the fore simply after the hour mark to avoid wasting his staff, as he has completed on numerous events, discovering the underside nook of the online with a surprising strike from outdoors of the field.
After the historic defeat to Saudi Arabia in its opening Group C match, one of many largest upsets in World Cup historical past, Argentina wanted a win towards Mexico to keep away from having to beat Poland by three or extra objectives in its remaining group match with the intention to qualify for the knockout phases.
Although a win towards Mexico on Saturday was essential, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni may also have needed to see a much-improved efficiency as proof that the loss to Saudi Arabia was nothing greater than a blip. Not least provided that earlier than that Saudi defeat Argentina had gone 36 video games unbeaten.
Nonetheless, that efficiency by no means materialized with Argentina trying stale and lifeless for a lot of the sport.
As Mexico chased a consequence, areas started to open up in its protection with growing regularity and Enzo Fernandez secured the win with a beautiful stepover and end into the highest nook after El Tri had didn’t clear its strains from a set piece.
Mexico began the sport brightly and was the higher staff contained in the opening quarter-hour, a lot to the delight of the large contingent of touring followers that serenaded their staff with shouts of “olé” because the gamers handed their manner across the Argentine midfield.
From the noise made through the nationwide anthems, it was clear that Mexico’s followers outnumbered their Argentine counterparts within the stands.
The primary half handed by with little or no incident, as neither facet was in a position to create a single likelihood of be aware.
For Argentina, this was a good distance from the efficiency that many followers in Qatar and again dwelling would have anticipated following that humiliating opening defeat to Saudi Arabia.
There gave the impression to be no cohesion and, extra worryingly, no concepts about how greatest to string a handful of passes collectively and start to interrupt down the Mexico protection
Gamers appeared afraid of getting on the ball and enjoying progressively, with Messi spending a lot of the half ambling across the pitch away from the motion.
With the final assault of the primary half, Argentina did lastly create some house down the correct hand facet of Mexico’s again line, however Marcos Acuña’s poor cross was simply cleared away.
Argentina coach Scaloni had made 5 adjustments to the staff that misplaced to Saudi Arabia within the hopes of receiving a response from his gamers, however he was left wanting after an insipid first-half efficiency.
Given the hazardous place Argentina discovered itself in, needing a win to have a practical likelihood of qualifying for the knockout phases, that first half show can have been puzzling and infuriating in equal measure to followers of La Albiceleste.
5 minutes into the second half, Messi lastly sprang to life. The Argentina captain picked up a by means of ball and danced his manner in direction of the Mexican protection, solely to be hacked down by Erick Gutierrez proper outdoors the penalty space – in any other case generally known as “Messi territory.”
The following free-kick, nonetheless, summed up Messi’s sport as far as the Paris Saint-Germain ahead fired his effort effectively over the crossbar.
Although Argentina had been underwhelming, Mexico deserved loads of credit score for stifling its opponent’s assault and Messi particularly.
However such is the Messi high quality, even a split-second lack of focus can show deadly and the Argentine struck an important blow simply after the hour mark.
Angel Di Maria, who had been one in every of Argentina’s least efficient performers on the night time, discovered Messi utterly unmarked on the sting of the penalty space.
It was the primary time all night he had discovered himself with any house in any respect and the captain wanted just one likelihood, controlling the ball and firing a pinpoint shot into the underside nook.
For all of Argentina’s deficiencies, Mexico by no means regarded prone to get again into the match.
With Mexico chasing the sport, Argentina started to look threatening on the break and one counterattack led to a brief nook that Mexico didn’t take care of.
The ball discovered its technique to substitute Fernandez, whose pretty stepover previous Gutierrez allowed him sufficient house to curve the ball previous Guillermo Ochoa.
In a match that was sorely missing in high quality, two moments of particular person brilliance have been sufficient to kickstart Argentina’s World Cup bid in Qatar.
There may be actually nonetheless a lot to work on, however Scaloni can be relieved his facet goes into the ultimate group sport towards Poland with its destiny in its personal arms.