"Australia is going to be very difficult" - Argentina captain Lionel Messi looks ahead to the Round of 16 clash against the Socceroos
Argentina captain Lionel Messi reacted to his team's win over Poland and made his prediction for the upcoming Round of 16 clash against Australia.
Messi and Co. managed to earn a 2-0 win over Poland in their final group game. The captain himself missed a penalty for La Albiceleste in the first half. His effort was magnificently saved by Polish custodian Wojciech Szczesny in the 39th minute.
However, Alexis Mac Allister (46') and Julian Alvarez (67') struck in the second half to secure qualification for the knockout stages for Lionel Scaloni's side. They also topped Group C and will face Australia in the knockout stages.
Lionel Messi predicted a difficult outing against the Socceroos, as he said after the game (via Argentina's official account):
"The match against Australia is going to be very difficult. Anyone beats anyone, everything is very even. We have to prepare the game in the best way as we always do."
#Qatar2022 🎙️ Lionel Messi: "El partido con Australia va a ser muy difícil. Cualquiera le gana a cualquiera, todo está muy igualado. Tenemos que preparar el partido de la mejor manera como lo hacemos siempre".
The Socceroos earned a 1-0 win over Denmark to secure qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament. They finished in second spot in Group D behind defending world champions France and will face Group C winners Argentina.
Messi had a mixed outing in the group stages. He scored two goals and provided one assist in three games. However, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar missed a penalty as well.
Former Argentina star Pablo Zabaleta reveals why the FIFA World Cup means so much to Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has won it all in his career, bar the FIFA World Cup. The Argentine captain is undoubtedly one of the greatest players ever to play the game.
His former international teammate Pablo Zabaleta has revealed how much the World Cup means to him. In his column for the BBC, Zabaleta wrote:
"I know the sacrifices he has made and the difficult times he has been through. Don't forget, he was only 13 when he moved to Spain. I also had to leave Argentina at a young age to progress my career - most of our players do - and I know how tough it was for me to adapt. But I was 20 when I joined Seville whereas he was just a young boy."
1978: Mario Kempes missed a penalty in the 3rd game
1986: Diego Maradona missed a penalty in the 3rd game
2022: Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the 3rd game
🤔🇦🇷 https://t.co/mJgvdmsUXJ
He added:
"I am so proud of everything he has done with his life since then, but I also know how much it means for him to represent Argentina, and how badly he wants to lift the greatest trophy in football with us."