The current World Cup champions won three out of three games in the qualifying rounds, thus they didn’t need their hero.
Finally, Lionel Messi was not sitting on the bench. It turns out, though, that Argentina didn’t actually require him for Thursday’s match against Paraguay at the Estadio Monumental. Another well-known face quickly provided Argentina with an unexpected source as they defeated them 1-0. Who was this improbable hero? Nicolas Otamendi, a defender, scored a spectacular volley in just three minutes. In the interim, Argentina didn’t turn around.
Paraguay never truly seemed like a threat because of the great play of the midfielders Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, and Enzo Fernandez. The game appeared to be headed in only one direction when Messi joined the game early in the second half to replace the brilliant Julian Alvarez.
Argentina was still advancing despite Messi’s absence. They kept up their impressive play in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, winning three of their last four games to advance in their World Cup defense.
Defense and goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez (6.0/10): Didn’t have much of an impact because Paraguay was stopped in their tracks.
Nicolas Tagliafico (8/10): Although not very impressive, he was nearly perfect on the left side and made a subtle but successful defensive transition.
Nicolas Otamendi (8/10): A goal by a defender! With a beautiful volley, the defender scored his fifth goal for his country and then kept Paraguay at bay for the whole game. a tremendous performance.
Cristian Romero (7/10): was as reliable as he could be while never matching his center-back partner’s performance.
Nehuen Molina (7/10): Tagliafico-like, but a little less complicated. Nevertheless, the player for Atletico Madrid had a good day.
Midfield
The ball was at Alexis Mac Allister’s feet, and he made several fantastic tackles in addition to doing what he typically does to keep the game moving. Against the Messi-MacAllister combination on the right flank, Paraguay had little chance.
Enzo Fernandez (7/10) showed once more why he fits so well in this team by doing a little bit of everything for Argentina.
Rodrigo De Paul (8/10) played a crucial part in Otamendi’s goal and then came close to scoring himself with a shot that hit the post in the first half. managed the game from midfield, preventing Paraguay from bothering Argentina more than they already did.
Attack
Julian Alvarez (7/10): It’s unfortunate for Messi that he was just substituted because the star of Manchester City was Argentina’s greatest attacking option. played a crucial creative role despite the fact that he didn’t score or assist that day.
Lautaro Martinez (6/10): Continues to score for Inter but hasn’t scored for Argentina in over a year. Was his place secure thanks to this performance? He only required one shot to be on target during the game, therefore it won’t help.
Nicolas Gonzalez (6/10) had a chance to score right before the half but was unable to do so. Overall, it was quite wasteful because Paraguay was content to give away the ball rather than challenge Argentina’s defense.
Manager and stand-ins
Lionel Messi (6/10): He didn’t seem fit, but he still scored an Olympic goal and took a free kick because that’s just how he is. But in this game, taking chances wasn’t essential.
Leandro Paredes (N/A): Came on late to give Fernandez, who was also receiving a yellow card, new legs.
Lionel Scaloni (8/10): Successfully managed the lineup without Messi. On the way to the World Cup, another match ended in victory. However, concerns over Messi’s role in their team continue to linger.
