Italy 0-3 Argentina: 5 Hits and Flops as vintage Lionel Messi rolls back the years in Finalissima triumph
A Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina added yet another trophy to their cabinet this week as they thoroughly outclassed Italy to win the Finalissima. The South Americans were visibly superior to their European counterparts and have now extended their unbeaten run to an impressive 32 matches.
Roberto Mancini fielded a strong team at Wembley but his charges were no match for the likes of Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez. The Copa America champions have become a formidable footballing force under Lionel Scaloni and have now proved their mettle against a traditional European powerhouse.
I don't want to hear anyone say anything ever again about Argentina having to prove themselves against European teams. They just toyed with the European champions. Show some respect. 🇦🇷
Argentina were the better team in the opening stages of the game and dominated possession for the first half-hour. The Europeans grew into the game, however, with Andrea Belotti and Giacomo Raspadori testing Emiliano Martinez with their efforts.
Lionel Messi was in no mood to let Italy claw their way back into the game, however, and destroyed the Azzurri back-line to set up Lautaro Martinez for an easy finish. Italy worked hard to turn things around before half-time but were undone by a deadly counter that saw Angel Di Maria double his side's lead.
The Albicelestes took the game away from Italy in the second half and did not give the Azzurri an inch on the pitch. Lionel Messi, in particular, orchestrated a stunning passage of play that saw the Albicelestes make Gianluigi Donnarumma's job between the sticks an uphill battle.
A third goal was inevitable and came from a fairly unlikely source, with Paulo Dybala making the most of his cameo with an excellent finish. Argentina were a class apart from Italy throughout the game and have made a massive statement of intent ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
#5 Hit: Cristian Romero (Argentina)
On a night that will understandably see Argentina's illustrious forwards grab headlines, Cristian Romero will go down as something of an unsung hero. The centre-back was impeccable in the first half and weathered Italy's initial storm to keep his side ahead of the game.
The Azzurri did create the occasional chance in the first half but were undone by Romero's incredible sense of positioning and awareness. The Spurs centre-back pulled off a particularly critical interception to deny Andrea Belotti a tap-in in the first half.
#4 Flop: Jorginho (Italy)
The Italians were effectively hamstrung in midfield against Argentina and Jorginho's poor form did them no favours. The Chelsea midfielder was asked to mark Lionel Messi for most of the game and the extra role hampered his ability to control the game.
Jorginho was uncharacteristically inaccurate on the ball and had a difficult time against Messi. The Italian maestro lost the ball on several occasions and left his team dangerously vulnerable on the counter.