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In what was a do-or-die match for them, Argentina beat Nigeria 2-1 at the Saint-Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday night to secure a place in the last sixteen.
The breakthrough came in the 14th minute as Messi gave Argentina the lead, slotting home from a brilliant long-range ball by Banega.
But Victor Moses equalized from the spot shortly after half-time when Javier Mascherano conceded a penalty after dragging down Leon Balogun in the box.
The Super Eagles defended valiantly and showed intent in the second half as they often troubled the South American side with quick counters.
They looked almost certain to make it to the next round as Argentina looked bereft of ideas towards the fag end of the 90 minutes. However, it was the Argentine defender, Marcus Rojo who came up with the winner in the 86th minute to put the game beyond the Nigerians.
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So, the dust has sort of settled now. Next up is France in a knock-out game on Saturday. Here are a few things Argentina must learn from their game against Nigeria.
#4 Javier Mascherano has lost his legs
Javier Mascherano was a defensive colossus at the 2014 World Cup for Argentina but four years down the line we can’t say the same about him. If anything, he seems to have lost his legs.
The 34-year-old left Barcelona in January and currently plies his trade in the Chinese Super League.
The decline of Argentina’s once so dependable warrior was evident since the last couple of years and yet, how he has been a regular starter in the recent games remains a mystery to many.
He’s had a forgettable World Cup so far and it would be fair to say that he was Argentina’s weakest link last night.
He found himself out of position most of the times and his passing, well, was horrendous to say the least.
And if that was not enough, he forced Leon Balogun to the ground in a silly foul to concede a penalty in the second half. Were it not for a late Marcus Rojo goal, Argentina would have been out of the World Cup at group stages.
Argentina look short in defensive midfield department with the only other option being, Lucas Biglia and it would be interesting to see Sampaoli’s selection in the game against France.
#3 Ever Banega is the key, must start against France
If something hurt Argentina more than anything in the first two games, it was their lack of imagination and creativity in the midfield. But in Ever Banega they seem to have found just the solution.
Although it is still incomprehensible as to why it took until their third game for Jorge Sampaoli to turn to Banega but the results were immediate.
The Sevilla man kept things ticking in the first half with his incisive passing. He was splitting the Nigerian defensive lines with ease and it was his pinpoint long range pass for Lionel Messi that created the opening goal.
Banega has done it umpteen times for Sevilla in the past and last night’s show was his springboard on national duty.
Well, Argentina have got their man now and they must stick with him.
#2 A Liberated Messi is half the job done for Argentina
Messi struggled against Iceland. To the bewilderment of many, he struggled again in the game against Croatia. But you can’t keep the best footballer in the world silent for three consecutive games, can you?
The Barcelona wizard arrived at the greatest show on earth and how!
A change of formation worked wonders as Gonzalo Higuain, tasked with a false no 9 role, often dropped deep to attract the markers, thereby liberating Messi to make his forward runs at will.
This resulted in the opening goal as Messi timed his run to perfection to latch onto an exquisite long ball by Banega and fired it past Nigerian goalkeeper with ease.
The right-back Mercado also had a role to play in freeing up Messi as he often made those runs and kept the Nigerian wing-back occupied as Messi played a more central role.
The 31-year-old dribbled superbly, passed incisively and more than anything, he looked like the Messi we all revere as fans.
Prior to this game, a lot was being talked about maximizing Messi’s potential in an otherwise misfiring Argentina side. Well, Sampaoli has a blueprint now and he should stick to this going forward in the tournament.
#1 A united Argentina are as good as any
Battered from their last two games and bruised by the continuous gossip-mongering media and critics, Argentina turned up for the game against Nigeria.
There were two possibilities. Either they would give in to the pressure and fall like a house of cards or they would stand united in their combined quest to stay alive in football’s greatest showpiece. They chose the latter.
Franco Armani was comfortable in goal on his debut, the back-four was impressive, Banega took the midfield mantle and Messi spearheaded their attack to perfection.
Even a shaky Mascherano came up with some important tackles as they kept the Nigerian players in check for the most part of 90 minutes.
Every single player chipped in with their bit and the result was there for everyone to see.
You must have heard about “Unity in diversity”, Argentina’s last night performance was a live demonstration of the phrase and they need to continue along the same lines if they are to pose some sort of challenge to France on Saturday.
