There it is Argentina. Partying again. Before the match, he thanks Angel Di Mariawho said goodbye to the albiceleste. After 90 minutes, they pay tribute to the two-time champions of America for their recent victory in the United States. And in the middle, with pure seriousness, as if they didn’t know what it was like to relax, Argentina plays on the Monumental grass and beats the fighters. Chili at an official meeting for the South American Qualifiers. He does it without Lionel Messi, injured. And also without Fideo, retired from the National Team… He is going for more, for much more…
Argentina played a game of searching, as always. However, they lacked the different imbalance that Genio and Fideo provided. In this scenario, Lionel Scaloni decided to play with a double 9 formed by Julián Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez, supported on the outside by the projections of Nahuel Molina and Nicolás González, contained from the midfield by Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister. It was a kind of 3-5-2 because he placed three central defenders at the back: Cristian Romero together with Nicolás Otamendi and Lisandro Martínez.
Lautaro, between two rivals from Chile
Argentina had a few moments of clarity at the start, but in general they struggled to create chances. Nico González’s header fell into the hands of Gabriel Arias, Julián Alvarez’s shot went wide from an ideal position and De Paul’s shot was saved by the Chilean goalkeeper.
Without the individual hierarchy of other moments, also without Alexis Sánchez (injured), Chile proposed a game of order and control. And at the end of the first half they found the clearest chance of that stage, a header by Matías Catalán that hit the post.
Argentina erased that signal with a stroke of the pen at the start of the second half. And they did so with a play that was typical of world champions, moving the ball around, opening up the field of play, placing midfielders in the area, with authority, hunger, ambition. De Paul on the right opened up for Julián, who put the cross in behind; Lautaro opened his legs and let it go through; and Mac Allister came to push it in as if he were a centre forward.
Mac Allister also scored on a great night for Argentina
Afterwards, as if they felt that Chile could not hurt them, Argentina seemed to regulate. Although Gio Lo Celso came on for Nico González, they still failed to achieve continuity in dominance. In the last quarter of an hour Paulo Dybala (wearing Messi’s number 10), Alejandro Garnacho and Marcos Acuña came on. The feeling was that nothing more would happen.
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However, Enzo Fernández drew a colossal lead in the third quarter, he passed it to Julián Alvarez and the new Atlético de Madrid pearl took a stunning left-footed shot from outside that hit the crossbar and went in. Then, the Spider came out to the ovation (inside Valentín Castellanos). And right there, Dybala appeared, who to honor the number 10 hit a left-footed shot to the first post and gave the victory the form of a rout. The Albiceleste’s night of celebration had to end like this. High up.
TECHNICAL SHEET
3 – Argentina: The 2011/12/13 season saw the 2012/13 season opener, with the 2012/13 season ending in 2013/14.
Coach: Lionel Scaloni.
0 – Chile: Gabriel Arias; Mauricio Isla, Matias Catalan, Paulo Diaz, Pablo Galdames (d.71, Eugenio Mena); Rodrigo Echeverria (d.71, Claudio Baeza); Felipe Loyola, Marcelino Nunez (d.60, Carlos Palacios); Dario Osorio, Eduardo Vargas (d.79, Ben Brereton) and Victor Davila (d.60, Williams Palacios).
Coach: Ricardo Gareca.
Goals: 1-0, Alexis Mac Allister (m. 48); 2-0, Julian Alvarez (m. 83); 3-0, Paulo Dybala (m. 90)
Referee: Venezuelan Jesus Valenzuela cautioned De Paul, Lo Celso, Nunez, Davila and Diaz.
Incidents: match for the seventh round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup played at the Estadio Más Monumental.
