Austria’s hopes of pulling off a major FIFA World Cup upset were dashed on Monday night as defending champions Argentina secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory, thanks to another masterclass from football icon Lionel Messi.
Despite a disciplined and courageous performance, Ralf Rangnick’s side could not find a breakthrough against the reigning world champions in front of a crowd of 70,649 spectators.
Messi, who had earlier missed a penalty, eventually proved the difference, scoring in both halves to maintain Argentina’s perfect start to the tournament and further cement his place in World Cup history.
Messi Recovers from Rare Penalty Miss
Argentina started the match on the front foot and nearly opened the scoring within the opening minutes. Their early pressure was rewarded when a VAR review awarded a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was brought down inside the area.
However, Messi surprisingly failed to convert from the spot, sending his effort wide of the post as Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager stood firm.
The miss marked the third World Cup penalty failure of Messi’s illustrious career, a tournament record for the Argentine captain.
Austria Hold Their Own
Following the penalty scare, Austria settled into the contest and enjoyed periods of possession against the South American giants.
Marcel Sabitzer came closest to creating danger for the Austrians, while David Alaba and Kevin Danso produced crucial defensive interventions to keep Argentina at bay.
Yet with players of Argentina’s quality, one moment can change everything.
That moment arrived in the 38th minute when Messi latched onto a flowing attacking move and calmly finished past Schlager to hand Argentina a deserved lead before halftime.
Austria protested in vain for a foul during the build-up, but the goal stood.
Messi Makes History Again
Austria emerged after the break with renewed determination and pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
Sabitzer tested Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from a free kick, while Michael Gregoritsch and Patrick Wimmer both came close as Austria increased the pressure late in the game.
But just as Austria looked capable of snatching a dramatic equaliser, Argentina struck decisively on the counterattack.
Deep into stoppage time, Messi completed his brace to seal a 2-0 victory and put the result beyond doubt.
The goals took the Argentine superstar’s tally to five goals in the tournament and a record-breaking 18 World Cup goals overall, making him the outright highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Encouraging Signs for Austria
Although the defeat ended Austria’s six-match unbeaten run, there were plenty of positives for Rangnick’s men.
The Austrian side matched the world champions for long periods, defended with discipline and showed enough quality to suggest they can still make a significant impact in the remainder of the tournament.
While Argentina move closer to securing qualification for the knockout stages, Austria leave the match with renewed belief that they can compete with the very best on football’s biggest stage.