Date: June 21, 2014
Result: Argentina 1-0 Iran
Scorers:
Argentina: Messi 90
Venue: Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte
Match overview: A game that had promised to be test of Argentina’s ingenuity against Iran’s collective defensive organisation turned into a thrilling encounter which Iran could easily have won. The Iranians grew in confidence in the second half and it took a wonderstrike from Messi to settle the match in stoppage time.
Key moment: Messi’s brilliant injury-time goal saved Argentina but broke Iran’s hearts. Just as it looked as if Iran would hold on for a famous result, Argentina’s captain cut in from the left and unleashed a thunderbolt into the far corner of the Iran net.
Man of the match: Lionel Messi. Who else? Iran’s players all deserve credit for a collective performance that threatened to produce one of the great World Cup upsets but Argentina’s captain unleashed a moment of brilliance to settle the game and take Argentina into the knockout phase.
Matter of fact: Argentina enjoyed 76 per cent of possession, the second highest in a World Cup game since 1966.
Talking point: Iran may have parked the bus in the first half but they revved up the engine drove the bus straight through the Argentina defence on a number of occasions in the second half. They grew in confidence as the Argentina backline wobbled. Messi again showed how he can win a match with a moment of brilliance, but his team-mates looked overwhelmed by the pressure.
Stats:
Goal attempts
- Argentina 18
- Iran 7
On target
- Argentina 5
- Iran 3
Corners
- Argentina 10
- Iran 6
Line-ups:
Argentina:
-
1 Romero
-
4 Zabaleta
-
2 Garay
-
17 F Fernandez
-
16 Rojo
-
14 Mascherano
-
5 Gago
-
7 Di Maria (Biglia 90)
-
9 Higuain (Palacio 77)
-
10 Messi (c)
-
20 Aguero (Lavezzi 77)
Iran
-
12 A Haghighi
-
4 Hosseini
-
5 Sadeghi
-
6 Montazeri
-
23 Pooladi
-
21 Dejagah (Jahan Bakhsh 83)
-
14 Timotian
-
7 Shojaei (Heydari 76)
-
6 Nekounam (c)
-
3 Haji Safi (R Haghighi 88)
-
16 Ghoochannejad
Yellow cards:
Argentina:
- none
Iran:
- Nekounam 53, Shojaei 72
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)