Lionel Messi gave life to Argentina when they needed it most and led his team to a 2-0 victory this Saturday against Mexicowhich is in a critical situation in group C of the World Cup in Qatar-2022.
The star of Paris Saint-Germain, was the architect of the triumph albicelestefirst scoring 1-0, with a shot from outside the area, in minute 64, and then with an assist so that Enzo Fernández, in minute 87 with a cross shot, sealed the second.
He settled the ball in control and unleashed a sharp left-footed shot just off the post to end the Qatari night at the majestic Lusail stadium. Lionel Messi appeared at the right time to defeat Mexico and revive the Argentine team in the World Cup.
It was running in the 64th minute when his old partner Ángel Di María found him from the right in the playmaker and on the 10th he decided a balance that until then was very balanced.
With tears in his eyes, he celebrated emotionally in a background full of crazed Argentine fans.
It was his eighth goal in the World Cups, the second in this edition, after scoring his team’s goal from a penalty in the defeat against Saudi Arabia (2-1).
matched Maradona
With this match, Messi equaled the genius Diego Maradona as the Argentine player with the most appearances in the World Cups, 21, a tiebreaker that will foreseeably break on the third day against Poland.
In the pleasant Qatari night he had left the bus first, with all his troops behind. Concentrated gesture, but smiling at the jokes. He also preceded the rest in the warm-up and when the eleven jumped.
“It’s the last tango, it’s the last tango!”, sang the thousands of Albiceleste fans to the rhythm of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” in reference to the last World Cup of the great idol.
In front of 90,000 spectators, together with Messi, the other captain, Andrés Guardado, an old acquaintance from the League who also entered Qatar-2022 in the select club of players with five World Cups, took to the field in first place.
However, the Betis midfielder had to retire due to injury in 42. The third footballer with five Cups present on the pitch, the goalkeeper “Memo” Ochoa, recovered the bracelet.
Located in the midfielder, Messi dedicated himself in the first minutes to oxygenate a midfield that was losing the battle against a better-planted Mexican team.
The game got rough quickly, with kicks and elbows from both sides. Messi understood that he had to calm his nerves: he asked his goalkeeper “Dibu” Martínez to calm down when serving and the rest not to burn the ball to try to build a game.
In this first part he could do little, except for some isolated dribbling and trying to give continuity to the game. His best moment, the launch of a powerful lateral free kick that Ochoa punched out (35).
– Key pass to Enzo –
In defense, the 35-year-old seven-time Ballon d’Or tried to save energy. He neither pushed excessively nor came down to help.
At the beginning of the second half, at the start of a slalom typical of his best times, Érick Gutiérrez stopped it with a free kick, also seeing the yellow (49).
The shot, focused and from about five meters behind the area, went too high.
The teams had switched roles. Argentina seized possession, a more natural ecosystem for the “Flea”, who had to wait until 64 to find the “momentum” to break the game.
To close his great night, in 87 he connected with Enzo Fernández, who put the finishing touch with a great action and the albiceleste party broke out in Lusail.
“Messi, Messi!” Shouted the albiceleste stands, bowing to the genius.
One day after two years of Maradona’s death, Messi dressed again as Diego to keep Albiceleste’s hope of achieving the third star in Qatar alive.
