Heroic Messi saves Argentina's World Cup as Mexico's tactical tweaking fails

LUSAIL, Qatar -- Goals from Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez saved Argentina from elimination successful the World Cup and defeated Mexico 2-0 connected Saturday successful Group C.

In beforehand of 88,966 fans astatine Lusail Stadium, the lucifer was astatine archetypal a nervy 1 with plentifulness of fouls but a deficiency of opportunities from either side. Then, successful the 2nd half, Messi opened up the scoresheet with an inch-perfect accidental successful the 64th infinitesimal that enactment the South Americans up 1-0.

In the 87th minute, Fernandez sealed the 2-0 effect with a beauteous changeable that sneaked past Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Argentina bounce backmost with archetypal triumph to support World Cup hopes alive

After a shocking 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Saudi Arabia successful their archetypal lucifer of the radical stage, Argentina could not suffer against Mexico and responded with a important effect astatine Lusail Stadium.

Initially moving into hurdles with El Tri's antiaircraft gameplan done a 5-3-2 formation, Messi yet pounced connected a changeable successful the 2nd fractional that acceptable the Lusail Stadium into a frenzy. El Tri appeared rattled aft the goal, leaving an inevitable accidental aboriginal connected for Fernandez to marque it 2-0 successful the dying moments.

The effect is overmuch much than conscionable the 3 points gained. Had Argentina lost, the title-contenders would person earned a shocking aboriginal exit from the World Cup successful the radical stage. Most importantly, Messi would person besides gone location empty-handed aft antecedently noting that this would beryllium his past World Cup.

For now, the hopes of Argentina's sporting federation unrecorded on.

2. Martino's tactical experimentation for Mexico falls short

Mexico manager Tata Martino raised a fewer eyebrows erstwhile helium decided to ditch his accustomed 4-3-3 enactment and alternatively spell with a 5-3-2 against Argentina.

The strategy of putting much numbers successful defence seemed to astatine archetypal frustrate La Albiceleste, who needed conscionable a spot of clip to fig it out. By the 2nd half, however, Argentina enactment Mexico connected the ropes with goals from Messi and Fernandez, leaving El Tri with a much worrisome way to the knockout round.

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Now, adjacent if Mexico defeats Saudi Arabia successful the last crippled of the radical stage, Martino and his men volition besides request to anticipation that the people of the Poland-Argentina works successful their favor.

Had El Tri earned conscionable a gully vs. Argentina connected Saturday, they would person past lone needed 3 points against Saudi Arabia, and not needed to trust connected the different result.

3. After quiescent start, Messi emerges a hero

Where is Messi? That was the question galore were asking coming into Saturday's crippled and adjacent during the archetypal fractional -- but helium was determination astatine the Lusail Stadium, scoring 1 of the astir important goals for Argentina truthful acold successful the 2022 World Cup.

Playing with the eagerness of and thrust of idiosyncratic who didn't privation his swan opus to extremity successful the radical stage, the superstar was superb with his question and extremity successful the 2nd half. Then minutes earlier the extremity of regularisation time, the No. 10 would look erstwhile again with an assistance for Fernandez.

Messi and his squad inactive person plentifulness of enactment to bash successful the radical stage, but it'll beryllium a immense alleviation from supporters to spot him scoring again and providing an assistance successful Qatar.

Player ratings

Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa 5, Kevin Alvarez 6, Nestor Araujo 5, Cesar Montes 6, Hector Moreno 5, Jesus Gallardo 5, Hector Herrera 6, Andres Guardado 7, Luis Chavez 6, Hirving Lozano 6, Alexis Vega 6

Subs: Erick Gutierrez 6, Raul Jimenez 6, Uriel Antuna 6, Roberto Alvarado 5

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez 7, Gonzalo Montiel 6, Nicolas Otamendi 7, Lisandro Martinez 7, Marcos Acuna 7, Rodrigo de Paul 6, Guido Rodriguez 7, Angel Di Maria 7, Lionel Messi 9, Alexis Mac Allister 7, Lautaro Martinez 6

Subs: Enzo Fernandez 8, Julian Alvarez 7, Nahuel Molina 7, Cristian Romero 7, Exequiel Palacios 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Lionel Messi, Argentina

Goal, assistance and the deserved victor of the Man of the Match: the planetary superstar is the crushed wherefore Argentina are inactive warring for a spot successful the knockout round.

WORST: Jesus Gallardo, Mexico

The wing-back looked overwhelmed erstwhile Argentina roamed onto his country of his defence and often had nary issues making their mode past him. Going forward, helium didn't supply much.

Highlights and notable moments

There were not immoderate highlights oregon notable moments successful the archetypal half.

Don't judge us? There were lone 3 shots total (one for Argentina, 2 for Mexico) and the expected goals, oregon xG, was the lowest successful a fractional astatine the 2022 World Cup yet. Mexico lone registered a 0.07 xG and Argentina did adjacent worse with 0.05.

The 2nd fractional seemed to beryllium plodding on successful the aforesaid mode until retired of seemingly nowhere, Lionel Messi recovered the backmost of the nett for Argentina.

We cannot accent capable however small was happening for different broadside successful the attack, and however Messi conscionable turned and fired successful a divided 2nd from good extracurricular the container and someway managed to spot it perfectly. That was the extremity that saved Argentina's World Cup.

With Argentina up 1-0, the crippled authorities changed -- everything opened up and Argentina was abruptly connected the beforehand foot.

Enzo Fernandez dashed immoderate hopes for Mexico of a comeback with a sensational curling onslaught from the wrong country of the box. It was a quality to enactment Argentina up 2-0.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Argentina's Lionel Messi connected the result: "After the goal, we became again who we are. So, it's large -- we needed this result, we needed this euphoria successful this crippled that we had to win."

Messi connected the crippled changing: "...Everything came down to 2 azygous plays. We knew that contiguous we had to win, that different World Cup started for america and we knew what to do. We cannot fto our defender down now."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

• Messi has scored 13 goals for Argentina successful 2022, his astir ever successful a calendar year. (Next best: 12 goals successful 2012.)

• Messi has scored successful six consecutive for Argentina, tying his longest scoring streak for the Albiceleste (from November 2011 to September 2012).

• At 21 years and 313 days old, Fernandez is the youngest subordinate to people for Argentina astatine the World Cup since Messi successful 2006 vs. Serbia and Montenegro (18 years and 358 days old).

• The past clip Mexico had 1 oregon less points aft 2 World Cup group-stage games was successful 1978, erstwhile Mexico mislaid each 3 games successful the group.

• Mexico is present scoreless successful 4 consecutive World Cup games for the archetypal clip El Tri's history, starting astatine the past World Cup. The lone clip Mexico has gone scoreless successful each of its archetypal 2 group-stage games successful a World Cup was 1962.

Up next

Mexico: One crippled remains successful Group C for El Tri, and they volition look Saudi Arabia connected Wednesday, Nov. 30 astatine 2 p.m. ET, which volition find if Mexico advances to the knockout circular oregon not. El quinto partido (a coveted, long-await 5th crippled successful the quarterfinals) hangs successful the equilibrium -- they request to scope el cuarto (the 4th match) first.

Argentina: Likewise, La Albiceleste decorativeness up Group C against Poland connected Wednesday, Nov. 30 astatine 2 p.m. ET. Now that they didn't suffer to Mexico, a changeable astatine the knockout circular is inactive successful play for Argentina.