It continues to be a heartbreak for Lionel Messi after his beloved national team failed to beat a strong Peru, leaving their 2018 World Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Although they were denied at home, Jorge Sampaoli’s men still have one more chance to clinch their golden ticket to Russia for the upcoming World Cup. The players will face Ecuador on Tuesday and it will be “do or die” for Messi and co. Argentina must win this away match in order to make it to the playoffs.
It was a strange night in Buenos Aires, to say the least. In the famous Argentina stadium ‘La Bombona’ and in front of thousands of their own national supporters, the team was left with a scoreless tie, leaving fans in disbelief. While Leo missed a clear shot on goal, his teammates missed more than four clear chances created by Messi’s unreal magic. It makes you wonder what Argentina would be like if Messi could pass to himself.
The Barcelona striker is once again the only player carrying this national side but has nothing to show for it. His amazing passes, creative vision and astonishing dribbles are going unnoticed, as his teammates are unable to capitalize their chances created by ‘La Pulga.’ Very undeserving.
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Despite Leo’s consistent form on the pitch, Javier Mascherano is the only other player that also shined against the Peruvians, creating several chances and almost scoring a wonder-goal from outside the box. But, during the final minutes of the match, Mascherano seemed to feel some discomfort in his leg and Sampaoli will have to wait until ‘El Jefe’ undergoes a medical test in order to assess his participation in the crucial game in Quito on Tuesday.
To make matters worse, La Albiceleste have not managed a victory in Quito since 2001. They have a very poor record at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium, losing twice and drawing once. Argentina fans are in route for another nail-biting match, which holds the team’s World Cup fate.
La Albiceleste must make something out of their last opportunity in the Ecuadorian capital if they hope to make it to Russia. Their line-up against Peru had many fans scratching their heads, after Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi were both benched. This cannot repeat if Argentina strive to qualify.
The players must put on their best performance, work as a team and take advantage of having the best player in the world on their side if they want to snatch a spot in the glorious World Cup.
Are they up for the challenge?