One step closer and one less opponent. Argentina have already reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, surprisingly beating Australia 2-1. The difference between the two teams seemed insurmountable for most of the meeting, although Australia managed to harass Leo Messi’s Argentina with a few minutes left after a rebound goal and a very clear chance of a discount. The Oceanics said goodbye to Qatar with a commendable performance, equaling their best ever record after they were able to overcome the group stage that saw them face France, Denmark and Tunisia. Argentina advance to the round before the semi-finals, where they will play the Netherlands.

The first 10 minutes of the game were enough to guess what the scenario would be until the end of the match with the score 0:0. Argentina monopolized the ball almost all the time, which did not bother Australia, which brought out all its lines and defended without a miss. The question was how long it would take Messi and company to strip the carcass. Australian.

The answer was 36 minutes and the main character was almost always Lionel Messi. “10” saved the ball in the penalty area from a lateral free kick that he himself brought into play and at a speed that was only within his reach, adapted the projectile to his left foot and struck with a pass into the net.

Little else happened on the decisive meters in the entire first part, in which Argentina cost Messi’s touch to put their qualification on the way to the quarter-finals. In addition to the advantage, the goal – the only shot on goal in the first 45 minutes – completely changed the game plan, as it was Australia who had to offer and look for Argentina, who could thus gain more space.

Ryan’s mistake, out of place for the 1/8 finals of the World Cup, served as a 2-0 tray for Argentina. De Paul put pressure on the Australian goalkeeper, who made a mess and lost the ball in his zone, which Julián Alvarez took advantage of.

The shock seemed dead. Australia hasn’t come up with enough arguments to make the Scaloni fighters tremble, but football always gives you a choice. If Australia has been anything different during its time in Qatar, it has been its ability to make the most of what it has, and it has been. The second game after a long pass allowed Australia to land a long-range shot that bounced off Enzo Fernandez and into a net defended by Dibou Martinez. A 2-1 score gave life to an Australia that, without much creativity or great skill, struck fear into the bodies of millions of Argentines.

Defensive quarterback giant Garry Sutta moved into Argentine territory and combed through all the balls received from teammates. The formula, not very spectacular, but very effective, was to bring the match to a length that seemed impossible just a few minutes ago. First Beich, who entered the Argentine area with an amazing slalom and managed to shoot a few meters from the goal, and then Kuol, who rebounded the lost ball at a discount, and Dibu Martinez shrunk to become one of Argentina’s heroes in the match.

Argentina’s 2-1 win takes Scaloni’s side to the quarter-finals and closes out the first leg before the semi-finals. The Netherlands-Argentina match will take place next Friday, December 9, at 21:00 at Lusail Stadium.