ARG 0 - 2 URU at FT, FIFA World Cup qualifiers highlights: R Araujo, Nunez condemn Argentina to first loss

Goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez helps Uruguay win against World Champions Argentina in Buenos Aires. Marcelo Bielsa’s men came in with the perfect game plan to stop the leaders.

Lionel Messi saw his freekick strike the cross bar in the second half but the hard-pressing Uruguayan defence saw that Messi was surrounded throughout the game had no space to be at his fluent best.

Uruguay continues to have a one point cushion over Colombia in second place in the standings. Colombia beat Brazil 2-1 to earn three points in its encounter.

Argentina struggling to create any chance of note with two minutes left on the clock. As it stands Uruguay will cut Argentina’a lead to two points at the top of the standings.

Five minutes of stoppage time added. Vinas and Canobbio in for Uruguay in place of Nunez and Pellistri.

Goal!!! Darwin Nunez doubles the lead for Uruguay! Argentina put bodies forward trying to find an equaliser. The one touch play is eventually intercepted and one pass through the defence does the trick as Nunez’s pace takes him past the defenders and he calmly slots in through the keeper’s legs.

ARG 0 - 2 URU

Di Maria cuts back into his right foot and gets a shot away. Not too far away from the goal.

Chance!! Lautaro meets the corner at the near post and gets a header in. Rochet does brilliantly well to palm it away.

M Olivera with his hands across Messi and pulls him back. An easy decison for the referee to make. Yellow card.

Acuna and Lo Celso come in for Argentina instead of Tagliafico and Alvarez.

A sloppy passage of play for Argentina. The ball is given away again and Uruguay has another chance to extend lead. Romero sees yellow for foul from behind on De la Cruz.

Argentin almost wins the ball back in a dangerous area but the visitors do well to thwart the danger and play past the press.

Excellent strength from Pellistri to get past the defender at the right flank. Puts in a dangerous cross into the box but Nunez cannot get his foot on it and add to the lead.

Better spell of possession from the home team. But Uruguay looks solid in defence. No real chances created.

Gimenez and Lautaro Martinez receive yellow cards for two late challenges.

Another substitution for Argentina. Palacios replaces De Paul.

M Araujo being carried out on a stretcher after a foul by De Paul. Rodrigo Bentancur takes his place on the pitch. Araujo in tears on the stretcher.

Di Maria is brought down at the edge of the box right after coming on. Messi strikes the bar with the freekick. Closest Argentina has come to the equaliser so far.

Angel Di Maria brought on by Argentina. He replaces Nico Gonzalez.

Argentina slowly growing into the game after a slow start. Messi tries to get a shot away from the edge of the box but two-three defenders press him everytime he receives the ball in a dangerous area.

Uruguay on the attack again. Excellent footwork from Pellistri to dance past two defenders but the shot is blocked and Argentina get it away eventually.

Early chance to double the lead for Uruguay. M Araujo finds space on the left flank and puts a ball into the box for Nunez to run onto. Just a little too far ahead from the Liverpool striker.

Jose Gimenez is being brought on after Half Time in place of Matias Vina. Lautaro Martinez coming on for the home team instead of Mac Allister.

Uruguay gets us underway in the second half.

Araujo’s goal sends Uruguay into the half time break with a slender lead. Argentina has seen more of the ball but Uruguay has pressed the World Cup winners throughout the pitch, making life difficult for them.

Rochet saves!! A dangerous ball in from Messi again. Romero and Tagliafico made a run to the near post but the Uruguay keeper does well to thwart the danger.

2 minutes of stoppage time.

Messi with a corner for Argentina. Puts in a dangerous ball into the box, Nunez heads it out. A foul on De Paul and Argentina flood the box for the free kick.

Goal!! Ronald Araujo opens the scoring! Vina did excellently well to keep the ball in the left flank amidst pressure from the defender. Manages to twist and get a cross into the far post where this time Araujo gets there ahead of the defender and shoots past Martinez to open the scoring.

ARG 0 - 1 URU

Nunez finds some space to run into down the left wing. The defender did not have the pace to match him. Puts the ball into the far post but the defender gets there just ahead of the attacker.

The freekick from De Paul is met by Romero who pushes it back in to a dangerous area. Alvarez had space to turn and shoot in one motion but the shot is wide.

Mac Allister joins Ugarte in the book. A foul on Pellistri near the edge of the box the reason for the caution.

First yellow of the game for Ugarte, for a foul on Mac Allister. Not surprising, he’s been strong in his challenges today. Doesn’t get the ball this time.

Another chance for Uruguay! The cross into the box is pushed back in to the penalty area. Nobody there to get the shot away. Referee eventually blows the whistle for a foul on Tagliafico.

De La Cruz goes close to opening the scoring for Uruguay. Couldn’t keep his shot on target though. That’s two chances missed for Uruguay now.

Messi takes the freekick but the wall does its job and gets it away for a corner. Messi goes for the short corner and the Uruguay press forces Argentina to go right back to the last line of defence.

A freekick on the edge of the box after a foul on Messi. The Uruguay players not happy with that decision. Looked a little soft in the replays as well. Another argument ensues between Ugarte and De Paul.

A diagonal run into the box from Gonzalez and Messi finds him with a through ball. Couldn’t prevent the ball from going out for a goal kick.

Tempers flare between the players. Gonzalez says the defender fouled him while shoving him out of the pitch. Romero and De Paul in the centre of the scuffle but the referee eventually deals with it and play continues.

Argentina wins the ball back at the centre of the field again, another threat of a counter but Pellistri drops back from right wing to deal with the danger. Good play.

Sublime one touch play from Tagliafico, Gonzalez and De Paul in the left flank. De Paul gets the shot away but is blocked by the defender.

First chance for Messi. Lets a shot out from the edge of the box after twisting and turning past Ugarte. Easy catch for Rochet though.

Argentina counters after a spell of Uruguay possession. Alvarez looks for a run though but the defence deals with it.

Uruguay’s chance for a counter and Nunez is running towards goal, puts his shot just wide of the left hand post.

The whistle blows and the match in underway in Buenos Aires.

Argentina - WWWWW

Uruguay - WDLWW

Argentina wins - 6

Draws - 2

Uruguay wins - 2

Last Meeting: Uruguay 0 - 1 Argentina in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers in November 2021

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Uruguay’s record scorer Luis Suarez is back in the squad for the first time since the World Cup after being called up on Monday for its next two qualifiers but Edinson Cavani is out after a muscle injury in Boca Juniors’ 1-0 win over Newell’s Old Boys on Sunday.

The FIFA World Cup Qualifier between Argentina and Uruguay will not be available for telecast in India. You can follow Sportstar’s live updates from the game here.

Argentina: Martinez (GK); Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez; Messi (C), Gonzalez, Alvarez

Uruguay: Rochet (GK); Vina, Olivera, Caceres, R Araujo; De La Cruz, Ugarte, Valverde; M Araujo, Pellistri, Nunez

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