Messi, Argentina hold off Australia, but who will step up if Di Maria remains out?

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Argentina edged past Australia 2-1 connected Saturday astatine the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium to tee up a World Cup quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands.

Goals from Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez saw manager Lionel Scaloni's broadside done against a spirited Socceroos broadside who had chances to unit the lucifer into other time.

Messi's opener successful the 35th infinitesimal was the sole changeable connected extremity from either broadside successful the archetypal half, portion Alvarez profited connected a goalkeeping mistake from the usually dependable Mathew Ryan to people their 2nd aft 57 minutes.

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Australia pinned 1 backmost with a deflected effort from Craig Goodwin successful the 77th infinitesimal ricocheting disconnected Enzo Fernandez for an ain extremity and had a glorious accidental aft Aziz Behich's wondrous run. Both teams had chances successful the last throes of the lucifer with Lautaro Martinez firing implicit from adjacent range, portion Thomas Deng had an effort well-saved by Emiliano Martinez successful the past play of the match.

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

Rapid reaction

1. Messi sparks Argentina aft first-half tussle

It was each going to program for Australia, until they poked Lionel Messi.

It was successful the 36th minute. Australia were holding Argentina, having restricted them to 1 long-range effort from Papu Gomez which troubled the cornerflag much than anyone adjacent the goal. So far, truthful good. But past Aziz Behich annoyed him. There was a tussle connected the touchline, shirts pulled. Messi stood implicit the freekick. The archetypal effort was cleared.

But past helium sparked it into life. He recovered Alexis Mac Allister who nudged it to Julian Alvarez. Alvarez laid it disconnected to Messi who shimmied and fired past Ryan. It was different trademark superb infinitesimal for the antheral who inactive holds matches successful the thenar of his hand.

But you consciousness Argentina haven't rather yet got the champion retired of Messi astatine this World Cup. He's much a playmaker, maestro orchestral conductor, these days alternatively than the firecracker. And helium needs players moving disconnected him to let him to bring the lucifer to life. While Alvarez offered this, Gomez didn't. Argentina request to code this up of the Netherlands, but this again was Messi's night.

Messi has already had countless milestone moments successful his record-breaking career. But determination were a mates much tonight. Firstly, this was his 1,000th nonrecreational match. He besides tied Paolo Maldini for the 3rd astir games played successful the men's World Cup -- helium present stands connected 23 matches, down Miroslav Klose's 24 and Lothar Matthaus' 25.

If Argentina inactive present travel Dec. 18 with the trophy connected the line, past Messi volition interruption that record, overmuch to the delight of his devoted fans.

2. Scaloni settles connected midfield but Di Maria missed

After each the tinkering crossed the radical stage, it looked similar Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni had calmed down. He made conscionable 1 alteration from the triumph implicit Poland with Angel di Maria retired injured, which meant helium kept the religion successful the aforesaid midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul.

All 3 played a cardinal relation successful the lucifer and looked a settled unit. De Paul was the standout of the 3 -- and it was his pressing that caused keeper Maty Ryan to marque his calamitous mistake to acquisition Julian Alvarez Argentina's second. Mac Allister has a fantastic quality to make abstraction done his question disconnected the ball, and with it. While Fernandez played successful a deeper relation successful the first-half, helium pushed further guardant successful the 2nd half. They should present beryllium fixed the aforesaid accidental to proceed against the Netherlands.

But if there's 1 country wherever they inactive look a small anemic in, (alongside the dodgy decorativeness to the match) it's the relation usually commanded by Di Maria. Papu Gomez played determination successful the archetypal fractional but was mostly anonymous. After 47 minutes, Scaloni replaced him with defender Lisandro Martinez. It was an intriguing telephone arsenic it saw Argentina displacement to a back-five successful a strategy precise akin to however their upcoming quarterfinal opponents play.

Perhaps this was Scaloni seeing however they'd fare going head-to-head against Louis van Gaal's Netherlands side. Or possibly it was conscionable Scaloni wanting his squad to unopen the crippled down. Either way, they mislaid their grip connected the match. That attacking equilibrium inactive needs refining.

While Alvarez's spot is cemented successful aft an assured performance, they desperately request to get Lautaro Martinez backmost connected signifier arsenic helium spurned an unthinkable accidental successful the 88th minute, firing implicit from adjacent range. So if Di Maria remains injured, Scaloni has 2 options: either instrumentality with the backmost five, oregon telephone connected Angel Correa, Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez oregon Gomez again. It's not a straightforward call.

3. Socceroos astir pulled disconnected with precocious surge

Amid the Messi-devotees mixed with the boisterous and bouncing Albiceleste fans at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, determination were small pockets of greenish and yellowish scattered done the crowd. Many Australia supporters would admit that pre-tournament, they'd person hoped to beryllium present for a knockout lucifer watching their Socceroos -- but it'd been much anticipation than expectation. But they pushed Argentina each the way, and had chances to unit this crippled into extra-time.

All this aft a singular radical signifier wherever they bounced backmost from a 4-1 hammering to France -- thing manager Graham Arnold tried to compartmentalise arsenic "the champion affable we could have"-- to past bushed Tunisia 1-0 and borderline past Denmark with the aforesaid scoreline.

Those were wins based connected organisation, implicit spot successful 1 other, and absorption -- though that deficiency of precision fto them down for Argentina's 2nd connected Saturday evening. But they had their chances and moments. The Fernandez ain extremity gave them life, and Aziz Behich astir flipped the publication erstwhile helium ran done the full Argentina defence -- ohio to spot him connected the near helping alternatively than astatine fullback! -- lone to spot his last goal-bound effort blocked by Lisandro Martinez . And past determination was that last-gasp accidental for Alou Kuol.

There person been memories to clasp connected to for a beingness (like Mathew Leckie's victor against Denmark) and performances which volition gain players moves to bigger and amended things -- instrumentality defender Harry Souttar for one. So connected this wonderful, extended journey, Australia made their beingness known astatine the World Cup, and backmost location wherever contempt the atrocious clip difference, fans watched their squad successful beforehand of immense screens successful nationalist areas successful the dormant of night.

The Australian players weren't overawed against Argentina, they frustrated the favourites, but were simply outplayed.

Player ratings

Argentina: Emiliano Martínez 7, Nahuel Molina 6, Cristian Romero 6, Nicolas Otamendi 7, Marcos Acuña 6, Rodrigo De Paul 8, Enzo Fernandez 7, Alexis Mac Allister 7, Lionel Messi 8, Julian Alvarez 7, Papu Gomez 5

Subs: Lisandro Martinez 7, Lautaro Martinez 5, Nicolas Tagliafico 6, Exequiel Palacios, 6, Gonzalo Martiel 6.

Australia: Mathew Ryan 6, Milos Degenek 6, Harry Souttar 7, Kye Rowles 7, Aziz Behich 8, Matthew Leckie 6, Aaron Mooy 6, Jackson Irvine 6, Keanu Baccus 6, Riley McGree 6, Mitchell Duke 6.

Subs: Craig Goodwin 7, Ajdin Hrustic 6, Garang Kuol 6, Jamie Maclaren 6, Fran Karacic 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Lionel Messi, Argentina.

It's horribly predictable, but it simply indispensable beryllium Messi. He was the standout subordinate and him receiving Player of the Match is 1 of the fewer guarantees successful this rollercoaster World Cup.

WORST: Mathew Ryan, Australia.

After a dependable tournament, unluckily Australia's keeper Ryan had a infinitesimal to hide arsenic it was his stumble which allowed Alvarez to people Argentina's second.

Highlights and notable moments

Give Messi an inch, helium volition find the backmost of the nett 🎯 pic.twitter.com/eamX9eQxqn

A precise interaction from Messi, giving him 789 goals (94 with Argentina, 672 with Barcelona, and 23 with Paris Saint-Germain) successful 1,000 games arsenic a professional.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Argentina skipper Lionel Messi, connected the win: "I americium precise blessed for taking different measurement forward, achieving different objective. It was a precise beardown and hard lucifer -- we knew it was going to beryllium this way. We didn't person overmuch clip to remainder up and we were acrophobic arsenic we knew it was going to beryllium a carnal lucifer and they were precise strong."

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, connected Di Maria's absence: "Hopefully Di Maria volition beryllium capable to play [against the Netherlands], helium wasn't acceptable today. It's ever tempting to bring him connected erstwhile he's connected the bench, but I don't deliberation we'd person helped anyone by bringing him on. We anticipation helium continues evolving and makes it to the adjacent match.

Australia manager Graham Arnold, connected the defeat: "I conscionable said to the boys I couldn't beryllium much arrogant of the effort and everything they gave to me, and to the nation. It's been a 4 and a fractional twelvemonth journey, a pugnacious travel for everyone but we're a spot disappointed arsenic we could've got thing much retired of it - but I anticipation Australia is arrogant of these players. I convey them for each their work, the effort they enactment successful done this run but it's astir making the federation arrogant and I'm definite we did that."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Having present played successful 5 World Cups, it was Lionel Messi's ninth extremity successful the tourney and his archetypal successful the knockout rounds. He surpasses Diego Maradona and Guillermo Stabile for 2nd-most all-time successful World Cup goals for Argentina, conscionable 1 down Gabriel Batistuta.

- Argentina volition look the Netherlands for a sixth clip astatine a World Cup, the astir notable being the 1978 brushwood won arsenic hosts. The lone squad Argentina has faced much successful the tournament's past is Germany (7).

Up next

Argentina: Next up volition beryllium a quartefinal lucifer against the Netherlands, who defeated the United States earlier successful the day, connected Dec. 9.

Australia: End of the roadworthy for the Socceroos successful Qatar aft getting to the knockout rounds for the conscionable the 2nd clip ever astatine a World Cup.