Argentina defeated Poland 2-0 this Wednesday to secure first place in Group C and the resulting passage to the round of 16, where it will face surprising Australia on Saturday. The two-goal defeat and Mexico only winning 2-1 also served Polish interests, who benefited from having a better goal difference – they will face France on Sunday.
Enzo Fernández, the Benfica midfielder who had come on in the last game against Mexico and scored a superb goal, was in Scaloni’s eleven, who also changed a piece in attack from the previous game, with Julián Alvarez coming in played the place of Lautaro Martinez.
The South Americans took control early on and had good chances to score in the first half. However, the first half was marked by Messi’s missed penalty, at 39″, with goalkeeper Szczesny blocking the number 10 shot, which had also wasted a maximum penalty in Russia 2018. In fact, the great figure of the first 45 minutes, which ended with 14 shots on target from the Argentines (nine in the penalty area), against one from the Poles.
The second half couldn’t have started better for Scaloni’s side, who scored right away, in a move where Mac Allister (of Irish and Scottish descent) gave the best follow-up to an assist from Molina. It was 1-0 and there was a big party in the stands.
Poland had a complicated mission at the moment because if they wanted to score on one side to at least draw, they couldn’t allow places as one more goal from Argentina could ruin everything, at a time when in the other group stage match, Mexico defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0, a result in line with the interests of the Poles.
Argentina didn’t rest until they scored the half-time goal, which came on 68″ by Alvarez, after an assist from Benfica’s Enzo Fernández. Qualification and first place in the group were secured, at a time when Poland was trembling to see the eighths to be able to flee.
A scenario that ultimately did not happen, with Poland also celebrating the passage to the round of 16 with the same points as Mexico, but taking advantage of having a better goal difference, given that Saudi Arabia fell to 2-1 at the top of the table. final whistle.
SEE THE GOALS HERE:
VIEW GAME STATISTICS HERE.
Source: DN
