The Superclasico match between Argentina and Brazil finished in a goalless draw at Argentina’s Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario stadium. Argentina are now only one point away from securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Albiceleste has five more qualifier matches left, and they can seal a spot in the main event when they face Chile in January. On the other hand, Brazil have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Let’s take a look at the Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup 2022 qualifier match report.
Match Report: Argentina vs. Brazil
Argentina’s unbeaten streak has been extended after a scoreless (0-0) draw with Brazil. With this result, Lionel Scaloni’s team has now gone 27 games without losing, which is an extraordinary feat.
Argentina had dominated the contest for the majority of it since Brazil’s strategy was to save the match rather than lose it.
The visiting team, Brazil went for the attack and had a few chances in the first half but were unable to capitalize on them. The selecao had their best chance of the game in the 60th minute (second-half). Fred’s long-range shot only hit the bar outside the box. A few minutes later, Lucas Paqueta and Mathews Cunha attempted two shots in the opponent half, but both were unsuccessful. The new phenomenon, Vinicius Junior had his chance in the 72nd minute when he took a shot but failed to strike the back of the net.
On the other hand, Argentina attempted to build attacks from the back and they were strong in the midfield. The Albiceleste had the maximum ball possession and excellent passing accuracy, but they couldn’t find the back of the net. Argentina’s best chances in the first half came from Lionel Messi (24th minute), Lautaro Martinez (31st minute), and Rodrigo de Paul (41st minute).
Messi and his teammates tried to find a way through, but Brazil’s defense remained solid. Argentina appeared desperate in the closing 15 minutes of the second half. Lionel Messi attempted two more shots, but both were saved.
Elsewhere, Bolivia defeated Uruguay 3-0, Peru defeated Venezuela 2-1 away from home, Ecuador defeated Chile 2-0, and Colombia and Paraguay played to a goalless draw in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Match Stats: Brazil vs. Argentina
According to the match statistics, Argentina had 56 percent ball possession and Brazil had 44 percent. The home side completed 495 passes, while the visitors completed 399.
Argentina had an 85 percent passing accuracy, whereas Brazil had an 81 percent passing accuracy. Argentina attempted nine shots, three of which were successful. On the other hand, Brazil made nine attempts and had two shots on target.
Both Argentina and Brazil were charged 21 fouls each. Argentina were shown four yellow cards, while Brazil were shown three.
South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers Scenario
Brazil lead the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers with 35 points. Their arch-rival Argentina are in second place with 29 points. Argentina lead Ecuador (23 points) by six points in the standings. Based on the current point standings, these three teams will certainly participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Colombia (17), Peru (17), Chile (16), Uruguay (16), Bolivia (15), and Paraguay (13) will compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the CONMEBOL zone. The fourth-place finisher will automatically qualify for the next year’s World Cup, while the fifth-place finisher will have to play in an inter-confederation play-off. Therefore, the remaining FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in the CONMEBOL zone will surely be enthralling.
Bottom Line
Neymar was absent in this Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup qualifier match because of a thigh injury. But that didn’t reduce the excitement of this match. Argentina controlled for the most part of this match, but Brazil’s tactics were just as effective. Based on their current form, both teams will unquestionably be among the favorites for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The number of matches they will play prior to the main event will help with the development of their team’s strategy.
Source: United News of Bangladesh