Argentina entered the 2022 Qatar World Cup as favorites to win the title, but after their disappointing defeat to Saudi Arabia, many deleted the Copa American champions. In the opening match of Group C, the team made a terrible debut. The top-notch Argentine squad underestimated their opponents and paid the price. Saudi coach Hervé Renard’s tactical masterclass gave the team the most award-winning win in Saudi football history.
The game started with Argentina’s possession of the ball. Starmen captured the breakthrough in the 10th minute after Lionel Messi knocked out a penalty won by Leonardo Paredes. South American giants were tipped to win comfortably as they continue to test the Saudi back four. However, they kept their high defensive line and managed to stop the Argentine attack with Offside traps.
In the second half, KSA number 11, Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari He scored goals from his caretakers to gain the lead. Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais stood like a rock in front of his goal, blocking Messin and his assistant’s chances of returning to the game. Al-Owais won the man of the match award for his outstanding performance.
Argentine captain Lionel Messi was not only disappointed by the defeat. He wants La Albiceleste to be more united after the loss as the team needs time to prove that they are a team. said:No excuse. More than ever, we must be united. This group is strong and it showed. It’s something we haven’t experienced in a long time. Now we have to show that this is a real group.”
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Lionel Messi’s performance against Saudi Arabia
Messi joins an elite group of players who have scored in four different FIFA World Cup campaigns with a penalty goal against Saudi Arabia. The list includes Pele, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, that was the only major contribution the little magician could make for the whites and blues.
He gave a lackluster performance in the game as he tried to deliver the piece of magic that Argentina craved. Messi’s lack of pressure on the ball didn’t help either, as Copa America winners were unable to produce dangerous counterattacks against the high Saudi defensive line.
The defeat put a lot of pressure on the PSG man and his compatriots. The South Americans cannot take their upcoming match lightly as they have no choice but to win to advance. Argentina might look favorably on the result, as if it might come as a surprise that La Albiceleste had advanced to the final the last time they lost their first match in a world cup. They lost to Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup opening match.
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