Supporting cast leads Argentina past Poland, into last 16

RAS ABU ABOUD, Qatar -- Argentina overcame Lionel Messi's first-half punishment miss to seal a World Cup round-of-16 clash against Australia aft goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez clinched a 2-0 win against Poland connected Wednesday.

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The triumph ensured apical spot successful Group C for Argentina, but contempt their defeat, Poland sneaked into the knockout rounds for a gathering with France aft edging retired Mexico connected extremity quality to decorativeness 2nd successful the group.

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

Rapid reaction

1. Messi bailed retired by Argentina's supporting cast

This could person been 1 of the worst nights of Messi's glittering career: helium saw a punishment saved by Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny and you tin lone ideate however crushing it would person been for the Argentina prima if his (probably) past changeable astatine a World Cup ended due to the fact that of his missed spot kick. For once, though, Messi had his teammates to thank, alternatively than the different mode around, for helping Argentina to the triumph that secures a spot successful the circular of 16 and a clash against Australia.

Messi had won his first-half punishment successful dubious circumstances erstwhile a VAR reappraisal highlighted an evident foul by Szczesny, but justness was done erstwhile the Poland keeper saved. Before immoderate hostility acceptable successful for the two-time satellite champions, though, Mac Allister scored a important opener successful the archetypal infinitesimal of the 2nd half. With Argentina inactive wary of being caught by the sucker punch of a Poland equaliser, Alvarez yet made the crippled harmless with a classy decorativeness connected 67 minutes to corroborate victory.

Messi, obviously, is inactive Argentina's cardinal fig and helium ran the crippled for his team, perpetually looking to creating an opening oregon changeable astatine goal. But this time, his younger teammates carried the load and showed that Argentina tin triumph without their superstar getting connected the scoresheet.

2. Poland cling to 2nd successful radical aft nervy 2nd half

Never earlier has a Saudi Arabia extremity been celebrated with specified relish by a radical of Polish footballers, but Salem Al Dawsari's injury-time extremity for the Green Falcons successful their 2-1 decision against Mexico was capable to corroborate Poland's qualification arsenic Group C runners-up.

With Argentina winning 2-0 successful Stadium 974 and Mexico starring 2-0 astatine Lusail Stadium for the second stages of the 2nd half, Poland were stuck betwixt contrasting approaches against Lionel Scaloni's team. They could spell for broke and pursuit the equaliser that would warrant apical spot and a spot successful the adjacent round, but by doing that, they risked conceding a 3rd extremity that would past determination Mexico wide connected extremity quality successful 2nd place.

With everything level with Mexico, Poland knew their superior disciplinary grounds would beryllium capable to instrumentality them done if nary much goals were scored successful either game, but it was a knife-edge beingness until Saudi Arabia's precocious goal. Seconds aft full-time successful this crippled confirmed Poland's defeat, their players were celebrating their progression to the past 16 connected the pitch.

3. Tinkering Scaloni is Argentina's large weakness

Argentina person made it into the circular of 16 arsenic Group C winners contempt the power of manager Scaloni alternatively than due to the fact that of it. The erstwhile Argentina midfielder has ended the country's agelong hold for planetary occurrence during his four-year spell successful complaint by overseeing the 2021 Copa America triumph and helium besides masterminded the team's 36-game unbeaten run, which was lone ended by Saudi Arabia successful the Group C opener past week.

In Qatar, though, it has been a regular guessing crippled arsenic to which squad Scaloni volition prime and cipher could genuinely accidental that they cognize which eleven volition commencement immoderate fixed game. For Argentina's players, that benignant of uncertainty tin beryllium unsettling and it does thing for consistency.

After losing to Saudi, Scaloni changed 3 of his backmost 4 and 2 of his midfielders, but aft seeing Argentina bushed Mexico connected the backmost of those changes, helium made 4 much against Poland. Handing Manchester City's Alvarez his archetypal commencement successful Qatar paid disconnected with the guardant scoring the important 2nd extremity against the Poles, but we are inactive waiting to spot Paulo Dybala and, astatine times, Messi looks arsenic though helium needs greater enactment from those astir him.

If Argentina are to triumph this World Cup, Scaloni needs to find a settled squad rapidly because, without immoderate benignant of bushed and consistency of selection, it volition number against them.

Player ratings

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny 7; Matty Cash 7, Kamil Glik 6, Jakub Kiwior 5, Bartosz Bereszynski 5; Grzegorz Krychowiak 6, Piotr Zielinski 6, Przemyslaw Frankowski 6, Krystian Bielik 6; Karol Swiderski 6, Robert Lewandowski 6

Subs: Michal Skoras 6, Jakub Kaminski 6, Damian Szymanski 6, Artur Jedrzejczyk 6, Krzysztof Piatek 6

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez 6; Nahuel Molina 7, Nicolas Otamendi 6, Cristian Romero 6; Rodrigo De Paul 6, Marcos Acuna 6, Alexis Mac Allister 8, Enzo Fernandez 7; Julian Alvarez 7, Lionel Messi 7, Angel Di Maria 6

Subs: Leandro Paredes 7, Nicolas Tagliafico 6, Lautaro Martinez 6, German Pezzella 6, Thiago Almada 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Alexis Mac Allister, Argentina. The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder scored the important opening extremity for Argentina, but helium besides provided vigor and advancing runs to interruption the Polish backmost line. A large performance.

WORST: Jakub Kiwior, Poland. All of Argentina's astir unsafe attacks were down Poland's near flank, including the transverse for Mac Allister's goal. Left-back Kiwior was the anemic nexus for the Poles.

Highlights and notable moments

Messi whitethorn beryllium the GOAT, but Szczesny turned successful a GOAT show connected Wednesday.

Wojciech Szczesny told everyone to calm down earlier helium saved Messi's punishment 🥶 pic.twitter.com/AIFA2wBQAe

The infinitesimal that sent Argentina done to the circular of 16. We each predicted it would beryllium Mac Allister redeeming the time for the Albiceleste, right?

After the match: What the players and managers said

Poland manager Czeslaw Michniewicz connected what helium told his players astir picking up needless yellowish cards: "I told the players to debar anserine cards. We were acrophobic that possibly 1 of the players would get a card. We told them to not speech to the referee, not to propulsion shirts."

Michniewicz: "Is that it? It's truly late. The premier curate is calling and I can't answer."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Szczesny is the 3rd goalkeeper to prevention 2 penalties successful 1 World Cup (Brad Friedel for the United States successful 2002 and Jan Tomaszewski for Poland successful 1974).

- Messi is the archetypal subordinate to person 2 penalties saved astatine the World Cup (excluding shootouts).

- Alvarez's extremity was his 3rd successful his past 5 matches for Argentina and his 4th vocation internationally.

- Poland volition marque their archetypal quality successful the knockout rounds since 1986.

Up next

Poland: The Poles made it retired of the radical by the finest of margins, and their reward is simply a round-of-16 matchup with defending champions France connected Sunday astatine 10 a.m. ET.

Argentina: The Albiceleste topped Group C aft starting disconnected their tourney with decision to Saudi Arabia, and volition present instrumentality connected Australia connected Saturday astatine 2 p.m. ET.