Argentina clinched a dramatic win against the Netherlands on penalties to book a berth in the semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where it will play Croatia.
Argentina vs Croatia - analysis and overview
Argentina has come a long way since its defeat against Saudi Arabia in its opening match. But Croatia will undoubtedly be Argentina’s grittiest opponent in this World Cup campaign.
Croatia has conceded just three goals till now in the World Cup compared to Argentina’s five. Argentina has been heavily reliant on Messi. Be it goals or play-making, Messi has led his team from the front.
Unlike his prime, one won’t see Messi make those trademark dribbles, beating multiple defenders in one go. A veteran of the game, one sees Messi drop down and create for his teammates. He has made a total of 70 line-breaking passes till now, which is a stat that works in favour of Argentina, considering the defensive compactness of the Croatians.
Up top, Alvarez should keep his place, and Angel Di Maria is likely to start if he is match-fit.
Marcos Acuna will miss the match due to suspension, and Nicolas Tagliafico is the likely replacement for the Albiceleste. Gonzalo Montiel is another player who will miss the Croatia match.
Croatia has already played two 120 minutes matches, in the Round of 16 and the quarterfinal. It enjoys a 100% penalty-shootout record in this World Cup. A common assumption can be that Croatia has the risk of burning out, but it has proved doubters wrong on multiple occasions and made a habit of churning out results in its favour.
Even though Croatia plays as a unit, Luka Modric will be a central figure in the team. He does not have a goal or an assist till now in the World Cup, but he thrives on the big stage.
Josip Juranovic and masked hero Josko Gvardiol have been immense in the Croatian backline, especially in the quarterfinal against Brazil.
Ivan Perisic will be a constant threat on the left flank, and he will be a big challenge for Nahuel Molina to deal with.
Both Argentina and Croatia have good keepers in their ranks, but Livakovic takes the cake when it comes to recent performances. Against Brazil, Livakovic faced a total of 21 attempts on goal, out of which he made 10 goal interventions. Out of the 11 saves he made, he retained the ball five times. Livakovic had a stunning save percentage of 91.
Argentina, in terms of quality, does have the ability to pierce Croatia’s defence, but this World Cup has taught us not to rely on paper and rankings. Scaloni’s men would need to play as a team if they want to reach the final. It is important for Argentina to not turn the match into just a ‘Messi show.’ Messi should be there to complement the team and not carry it. Messi will go into the match with four goals. Messi drew level with Gabriel Batistuta at the top of Argentina’s all-time FIFA World Cup scorers list with 10 goals.
Also, a fun fact to know before the semifinal - Messi bagged his first international goal against Croatia on March 1, 2006, in a friendly match played at St. Jakob Park in Basil, Switzerland.
Argentina’s road to the semifinal
Before the tournament began, Argentina wasn’t one of the strongest teams on paper. Obviously, the presence of an in-form Lionel Messi was a boost for La Albiceleste, but in terms of overall squad balance, it was lacking behind teams like Brazil, France, Spain and England. Also, the late exclusion of Giovani Lo Celso was a blow for Lionel Scaloni and his men.
Group stages
When Argentina was paired with Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in Group C, it was immediately chosen as the favourite to top the group. It ultimately did, but the road was anything but straightforward.
Lionel Messi and his team were scheduled to open its World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium. It started the match as the heavy favourite, and when Messi gave his team a lead from the spot, most thought it to be the start of a big rout.
But the tide turned in the second half when Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari scored in quick succession. Suddenly, Argentina looked weak and desperate for solutions, but couldn’t find any. Saudi beat Argentina 2-1 in one of the biggest World Cup upsets. Argentina finished the match with 62% of the ball and had 14 attempts at goal compared to Saudi’s three.
Scaloni’s men went into its second match against Mexico as a shaken team, with the tag of favourites having dissipated after the opening day shocker. The team looked nervous in the first half, and Mexico looked like the likelier team to score the first goal. After the first-half finished goalless, Argentina started the second half with an air of confidence, that was lacking in the first.
And then, in the 64th minute, the Lusail stadium saw the wizard wave his wand.
Receiving a pass from Angel Di Maria, Messi created space for himself and launched a low shot at goal from approximately 25 yards out. The placement was perfect, and by the time, Guillermo Ochoa saw the ball and dived, the ball was already past his reach and nestled in the bottom-right corner. Argentina took the bull by its horns after Messi’s opener, and in the 87th minute, Messi assisted Enzo Fernandes from a short corner. The latter had a look up and found the net with a well-taken finesse shot. Argentina won the match 2-0.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates scoring his side’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Mexico at Lusail Stadium on November 26, 2022, in Lusail City, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Heading into its final group match against Poland, Argentina needed a win to ensure qualification. While there were doubts about Argentina’s ability to perform under pressure, it was a relatively easy outing for the two-time world champion. Messi did miss a penalty, but it was a dominating performance by Argentina as it booked its Round of 16 seat with a 2-0 win courtesy of goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez.
Round of 16
Argentina faced Australia in its Round of 16 match. The difference in quality was massive on paper, but Scaloni and his men could not afford a shred of complacency, especially after the shock loss to Saudi. Also, Australia deserved respect after winning two of its three group games, which included Denmark.
Argentina eked out a 2-1 win against the Socceroos, but the match had its share of nervy moments.
After Messi and Alvarez gave a 2-0 lead to Argentina, it seemed like a straightforward win for the Albiceleste. However, Enzo Fernandez’s own goal in the 77th minute changed the dynamic of the game, and suddenly Australia was constantly hounding the Argentine backline.
Julian Alvarez of Argentina celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Australia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on December 03, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Alex Grimm/Getty Images
It had two proper chances to score late in the match. Aziz Behich’s shot was blocked by a brilliant slide tackle by Lisandro Martinez, and in the second one, keeper Emiliano Martinez made a save in the seventh minute of second-half additional time to save Garang Kuol’s shot and preserved Argentina’s lead.
Quarterfinal
Argentina’s quarterfinal match against the Netherlands is one for the history books. The match saw 19 yellow cards, a brilliant assist, two late goals, a dramatic penalty shootout and an incensed Lionel Messi - the last one, being a rare sight in a football match.
Nahuel Molina scored the opening goal after Messi set him up with arguably the assist of the tournament. Messi converted from the spot to make it a 2-0 lead, and it looked like a simple win for Argentina.
Nahuel Molina celebrates with Lionel Messi of Argentina after scoring the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarterfinal match between Netherlands and Argentina at Lusail Stadium on December 09, 2022, in Lusail City, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
But Wout Weghorst scored two goals to force the match into extra-time, with the equaliser coming in the 11th minute of second-half additional time.
The match, which had seen its fair share of tussles and bookings, went into penalties. Emiliano Martinez turned hero in the shootout, saving two penalties and booking Argentina’s place in the semifinals where it would face Croatia.
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