Argentina were considered heavy favourites to win their opening match of the Qatar World Cup against Saudi Arabia and equal Italy’s 37-match unbeaten record. However, things didn’t pan out as expected, particularly for the Argentine side in the second half. They conceded two goals in quick succession and lost the contest to Saudi Arabia 2-1, ending their 36-match winning streak.
Qatar World Cup: Messi scores as Argentina take 1-0 lead against Saudi Arabia
The Argentine defence was a bit casual at the start of the second half; they seemed to not be taking the Saudi Arabian side too seriously and eventually paid the price. Saleh Al Shehri found the net in the right bottom corner after cutting through the left side of the D-box. With his goal, Saudi Arabia cut the lead to 1-1 in the 48th minute. Five minutes later, Salem Al Dawsari’s right-footed thunderbolt shot stunned the Argentine crowd at the Lusail Stadium. The Argentine campaign was in complete disbelief.
Argentina after that tried to find the net by putting pressure on the opposition half, and they were close to scoring a number of times but remained unsuccessful.
Qatar World Cup: Off-sides frustrate Argentina, settle for 1-0 at the end of the first half
Earlier, Argentina took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute of the first half. Lionel Messi scored a penalty for his team. At the same time, they also saw two goals disallowed due to offsides.
Argentina continued to put pressure on the Saudi Arabian defense and tried to create attacks from behind. But the Saudi Arabian defenders were focusing on high-line defense, which caused problems for the Argentine forwards.
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Argentina will now be under huge pressure to put on a strong display against Mexico after ending their 36-match unbeaten run in their opening match of the Qatar World Cup. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s magnificent victory will give them a realistic chance to move on to the Round of 16.
Source: United News of Bangladesh