Argentina vs Austalia live score, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Messi inspires Argentina to a 2-1 win

That's it for the night. We will be back tomorrow for more round of 16 action. Till then take care and be well. See you.

What a game that was from Lionel Messi 🐐

He provided the key pass or shot for 10/14 of #ARG's attempts on goal

▪️ Shots - 6 (1st)
▪️ Key Passes - 4 (1st)
▪️ Touches In The Box - 9 (1st)
▪️ Passes Into The Box - 3 (1st)
▪️ Successful Dribbles - 6 (1st)#ARGAUS | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/uH2C6TShXn
— StatsBomb (@StatsBomb) December 3, 2022

Most chances created at the World Cup since Opta records began in 1966:

◉ 67 - Diego Maradona
◉ 67 - Lionel Messi

It was written in the stars. ✨#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/OyE8ry4TcM
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 3, 2022

We will leave now. But not before we put up a couple of tweets.

Argentina celebrate by going to their fans who are behind the goal at one end. Lots of singing and happy faces there.

So it's Argentina v Netherlands in next Friday's quarter-final. Messi and Co. against Van Dijk and Co. Should be a tasty one.

FULL-TIME! Argentina 2 Australia 1. Argentina book their place in the quarter-finals thanks to goals from Messi and Alvarez. An own goal pulled one back and Australia pressured late on but Argentina held on even as they couldn't kill the game off with their own chances as the game opened up.

WHAT A SAVE from Emi Martinez. Garang Kuol is found on the right and he spins the defender before shooting it on the turn and it needs a world-class save by Martinez who closes him down and makes himself big. That was the chance for Australia and Martinez came up trumps. A couple of defenders celebrate with him and thank him for that save.

Pinball in the Australia box but Lautaro's shot is saved by Ryan and then the follow-up is too quick for Messi as it ricochets off his legs and wide.

Two chances for Argentina in the space of 2 minutes. Lautaro is set up by Messi who finds Ryan who saves with his legs. After that Messi on his left-foot just curls it wide and over of the far-post as he cut in.

7 minutes of added time.

Australia lose the ball in a dangerous area and Messi with a jinking run and he lays it on a plate to Lautaro Martinez who horribly skies his shot over. That would've killed Australia off right there. A bad miss from Lautaro.

Argentina make a couple of changes: Gonzalo Montiel and Exequiel Palacios replace Naheul Molina and Alexis Mac Allister.

Would've been a wonder goal from Behich but for Lisandro's intervention.

Aziz Behich with a lovely slaloming run and he leaves defenders for dead on the left side, but as he prepares to pull the trigger, Lisandro Martinez stretches out a boot to clear wide. Lisandro gets up and pumps his fist in triumph.

GOAL! OWN GOAL by Enzo Fernandez in the 76th minute! Argentina 2 Australia 1. Huge slice of luck in that goal. Craig Goodwin blasts a left-footed shot which takes a huge deflection as Enzo gets in the way to block, leaves Martinez stranded. Game back on. If not for the deflection, that ball was going well wide.

Triple change for Australia: Duke, Degenek, and Leckie come off, replaced by Karacic, Maclaren, and Kuol.

Double change for Argentina: Julian Alvarez and Marcos Acuna are off. Lautaro Martinez and Nicolas Tagliafico are on.

Now De Paul feeds Messi on the inside-right on his left-foot but he shoots well wide.

A moment for the crowd to rejoice as Messi turns away from midfield and then jinks off on a mazy run, only a desperate clearance at the end saves the day. Messi was prepared to pull the trigger there.

Double change for Australia after that goal: Craig Goodwin and Ajdin Hrustic replace Keanu Baccus and Riley McGree.

GOAL! Julian Alvarez in the 56th minute! Argentina 2 Australia 0. Mathew Ryan in the Australian goal makes a meal and gives away the second goal on a platter. He is pressed by De Paul and though Ryan escapes him, his touch is heavy and is closed down by Alvarez who nicks it off him and on the turn passes it into the goal. A howler from Ryan and Argentina have a cushion.

Almost a chance as Otamendi's backpass to Martinez is almost pounced on by Duke but the keeper hacks clear.

Argentina now go 3 at the back with Molina and Acuna operating as the wingbacks. Almost a back five.

Argentina change: Lisandro Martinez on for Papu Gomez. A defender for a midfielder.

Second half begins.

HALF-TIME! Argentina 1 Australia 0. Fairly uneventful half. 1 shot on target for Argentina and 1 goal. Apart from that nothing. Argentina playing the patience game so well. And when the opportunity arrived, Messi with a clinical finish.

2 minutes of added time.

STAT: Would you believe this! That was Messi's first knockout goal in the World Cup and his 9th overall. He now moves past the legendary Diego Maradona who had 8 goals.

Talk about a moment of magic. Till then Argentina were probing, prodding and hanging back Australia's possession and then Messi struck.

GOAL! Lionel Messi in the 34th minute! Argentina 1 Australia 0. It's Messi who else! From a corner he receives the pass on the inside-right channel, and with two defenders trying to close down he passes it past the outstretched dive of Mathew Ryan. A first-time finish and Messi is being worshipped by the 30,000-odd crowd inside the arena.

Argentina happy to sit back and defend as Australia pass it around. Nothing comes out of it though.

First shot of the game comes from Papu Gomez on the left but he skies it way over. Very ambitious effort from outside the box.

YELLOW CARD TO Jackson Irvine for a clumsy challenge on Marcos Acuna.

Early possession from Argentina with Australia willing to have two blocks of 4 behind the ball.

Early calls for a handball is waved away and VAR checks but does not see anything abnormal. To be fair, the ball hit the Aussie defender on the hand after ricocheting off the thigh.

KICK-OFF!

The players are ready for the anthems.

Australia Subs: Atkinson, Karacic, Tilio, Wright, Maclaren, Hrustic, Mabil, Redmayne, Devlin, Vukovic, Deng, Kuol, Goodwin, King, Cummings.

Argentina Subs: Armani, Foyth, Tagliafico, Montiel, Paredes, Pezzella, Di Maria, Rulli, Palacios, Correa, Almada, Rodriguez, Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Lisandro Martinez.

About 30,000 Argentine fans are expected inside the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar tonight.

The players are out for the warm-ups.

And one change for Australia too: Keanu Baccus make his full international debut for Australia, replacing Craig Goodwin.

One change for Argentina: Papu Gomez replaces Angel Di Maria, who was a doubt because of a thigh injury and is only on the Argentina bench

Australia (4-3-3) Ryan; Degenek, Souttar, Rowles, Behich; Baccus, Mooy, Irvine; Leckie, Duke, McGree.

Argentina (4-3-3) E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Alvarez, Messi, Gomez.

The lineups are next. Stay tuned.

And as a small matter of fact - Lionel Messi is set to play his 1000th professional game tonight. Just the 778 goals and never mind the assists and the trophies.

Here are some match facts courtesy BBC:

Australia's only win in seven games against Argentina was in their first meeting in 1988. Current Socceroos boss Arnold played in that match.

Argentina have reached the World Cup knockout stage for the ninth time in the last 10 World Cups.

Messi has had 23 efforts without scoring in the World Cup knockout stages for Argentina.

Australia have won consecutive matches and kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time at the World Cup. Their previous clean sheet before their two in this tournament was back in 1974.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is not a happy man after the short turnaround time for this game. Argentina played Poland on Wednesday in the late kick-off and with just 2 days rest in between, they face Australia on Saturday.

"Australia, who finished second in the group, played at 6pm and we finished first but played at 10pm. We went to bed at 4am and that has an impact when you have a game in 48 hours," said Scaloni, who took over after the 2018 World Cup.

"We will break our backs on this pitch to compete, we know how difficult this World Cup is, this is football."