World Cup 2018: Argentina vs Iceland, Player ratings

It was an interesting match in group D as Argentina played out a thrilling 1-1 draw with World Cup newcomers, Iceland. The Albiceleste looked destined to win the game when they took an early lead in the 19th minute. However, Iceland responded with a brilliant equalizer after just 4 minutes.

The South Americans got a chance to put the game beyond the Icelanders, winning a crucial penalty in the second half. But Halldorssen denied Lionel Messi from the spot to earn the debutants a vital draw at the Spartak stadium.

Therefore, let's look at how each of the players fared during the game:

Iceland

Hannes Halldorsson- 9/10

The goalkeeper had a brilliant day in between the sticks denying Lionel Messi on several occasions including a penalty kick in the second half.

Kari Arnason- 7/10

The defender put up a rock-like performance at the back, clearing almost everything that came his way.

Birkir Mar Saevarsson- 7/10

Saevarsson had a nice outing, troubling Lionel Messi throughout the game. He poked the ball away from the Argentine wizard with just 10 minutes to go.

Ragnar Sigurdsson- 8/10

The Rostov superstar offered attacking threats throughout the 90 minutes. He also did well to deny Ever Banega with a sliding tackle late in the game.

Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson- 7/10

Magnusson played a brilliant role in Iceland's equalizer, forcing a save from Caballero which Finbogasson rebounded. However he was lucky not to be penalized in for a hand-ball in the first-half.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson- 6/10

The midfielder did a great job in marking the Argentina attackers.

Aron Gunnarsson- 7/10

The captain was a true leader on the pitch, displaying great confidence throughout the game.

Emil Hallfredsson- 6/10

A calm performance from the midfielder, Hallfredsson did well in linking up with his teammates.

Bikir Bjarnason- 8/10

The Aston Villa superstar was a constant attacking threat during the game, linking up perfectly with Sigurdsson on multiple occasions.

Alfred Finnbogason- 8/10

Finnbogasson played a decisive role, scoring Iceland's first-ever World Cup goal during the game. However, he struggled to impress in the second-half.

Gylfi Sigurdsson- 7/10

A great performance from the Everton man. His brilliance was what Iceland needed to maintain their inspiration.

Substitutes

Rurik Gislason – 6/10

Gislason replaced the injured Gudmundsson and slotted in perfectly.

Ari Skulason – 6/10

The superstar served as a brilliant reinforcement to the tiring captain as the game wore on.

Bjorn Sigurdsson N/A:

The player came in as a late substitute and couldn't influence the game much.

Argentina

Willy Caballero- 5/10

The goalkeeper failed to impress during the game and struggled with the ball at his feet.

Nicolas Tagliafico- 6

Tagliafico almost scored a header early in the game following a Lione Messi free-kick delivery.

Nicolas Otamendi- 5.5/10

Otamendi wasn't his usual self at the back. However, he did impress offensively, creating a couple of chances and almost got on the scoresheet in 29th minute with a decent header.

Marcos Rojo- 5/10

Marcos Rojo had a poor outing, finding it difficult to handle Iceland's counter-attacks on several occasions.

Eduardo Salvio- 6.5/10

Despite Argentina's unconvincing display, Salvio managed to threaten Iceland with some incredible attacking runs down the right flank.

Javier Mascherano- 7.5/10

The former Barcelona superstar was Argentina's brightest player during the game. He worked hard to control the midfield and tried to make the team click.

Lucas Biglia- 5/10

The midfielder made a few runs during the game but found it difficult to break through a pack of white shirts.

Maximiliano Meza- 6/10

The attacking midfielder made a couple of threatening runs but ended up producing nothing out of them.

Lionel Messi- 6/10

The playmaker had a poor outing by his own standards. He missed a golden opportunity, failing to convert a penalty that could have granted Argentina the win. But, he did have some shots on target during the game.

Angel Di Maria- 6/10

Di Maria made a couple of crosses into the box during the second-half. However, the Paris Saint-German superstar failed to influence the game.

Sergio Aguero- 7/10

The Manchester City striker scored the opening goal, turning inside the box before beating the goalkeeper from close-range.

Substitutes

Ever Banega - 6/10

Ever Banega introduced offensive contributions but still couldn't find a way out.

Cristian Pavon - 6.5/10

The attacker forced a decent save from Halldorsson after coming in later in the game.

Gonzalo Higuain - N/A

Higuain came in too late to have an impact on the game.

Will Argentina bounce back from this setback? Sound off in the comments section below?

Edited by Alan John