England beat one of the hosts in their own backyard when they traveled to Azteca and won with 10 men. They then saw off Erling Haaland and his friends in the last eight games. Now it’s the holder’s little problem to beat Argentina, led by Lionel Messi.
It is a touching encounter that evokes heroic and unforgettable memories. Sir Alf Ramsey infamously called Argentina an ‘animal’ in 1966. Twenty years later, Diego Maradona delivered both the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century just minutes apart.
It’s a competition filled with wars, empires, and battles both on and off the pitch. Michael Owen’s goal. It was David Beckham’s moment of madness when he tripped Diego Simeone, and four years later the player’s redemption was complete from the penalty spot.
But until now, Messi has never touched it. The Argentina national team number 206 will face England for the first time in his long career. “That has never happened against England,” Messi said. “I think it will be a special game because it is my first time.”
Maradona’s shadow falls
Just when you thought he had surpassed Maradona’s shadow, Gianni Infantino’s script gives him a World Cup date against England. The choice of strip color will also be the same as it was 40 years ago when the legend of Maradona was born.
Messi must have thought he had it all in football. But now, at 39, Argentina will require him to defeat an old enemy just as Diego did. Handball could be tricky due to VAR constraints, but ask Egypt supporters and they might not rule it out.
Diego Maradona’s hand of God and goal of the century against England
Did you score an incredible goal in your own half? It would be strange to think about it at his age. But what is surprising about Messi’s World Cup is the way he has exceeded expectations. If you look at the numbers alone, it was an incredible victory.
His hat-trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria set the tone for a tournament with big names front and center. He also scored in the next four games. This is a relative goal drought for Messi after the win against Switzerland.
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Lionel Messi ‘disappointed the team’ after missing penalty kick against Egypt
Still scoring and creating.
Most importantly, he scored eight goals and established himself as the tournament’s top scorer alongside Kylian Mbappe as he resumed his Golden Boot battle in Qatar. But Messi’s creativity beyond the goal underlined his continued importance to Argentina.
He ranks first in the World Cup rankings for chances created and big chances created. He is joint-leading in chances created from set plays and clears the rest when it comes to through balls. He has had 16 shots from outside the box, five more than any other player.
Lionel Messi’s creativity in Argentina’s numbers at World Cup
How do you stop that? Haaland’s mission was to cut off supplies. How do you cut off supply to someone who doesn’t even need to have the ball to do damage in a dangerous area? Messi is free to roam wherever suits him best.
Against Egypt and Switzerland, that meant moving to the right when they found the center too crowded. Messi will find that space, and against an England team without a natural holding midfielder, there may be plenty of it.
Lionel Messi’s positioning is represented by a heatmap and a shot assist map.
Has Spence landed a key role?
On the face of it, Nico O’Reilly is the more attacking option at left-back. However, Tuchel may have taken note of Djed Spence’s performance after the Norway game. The Spurs full-back impressed defensively but was also an attacking threat.
Spence was awarded a penalty kick only by VAR and the decision was overturned. He also got the ball back with one offensive interception in the final third of the pitch. Coming on as a substitute in the 86th minute, he finished with as many touches in the opposition box as Harry Kane.
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Jamie O’Hara believes England will struggle against Argentina if they play the same way.
More importantly, he showed one-on-one defensive ability, making him the best natural defender in the England national team. Only John Stones, who played the full 120 minutes, recorded more clearances than Spence against Norway.
In the game against Argentina, England’s left flank is likely to be the target. Messi has moved to the right in each of the team’s last two games to find space. A right-footed defender’s comfort with dealing with opponents can be an important factor in that role.
One more Messi moment?
Thomas Tuchel’s preparations for the game against Argentina began on Sunday, and he cannot focus only on Messi. Julian Alvarez scores a stunning goal against Switzerland. Lautaro Martinez set up Enzo Fernandez’s win against Egypt. Other heroes have emerged.
But for Lionels, it is still true that it is Messi’s team, not Scaloni’s. Is there enough for the tank? After the match against Switzerland, Messi said, “We played a long game again and put in a lot of effort to get this far.” “And sometimes it shows that way.”
At 39, Messi has become more of a player of the moment than a player who dominates the game, and his dominance in this semi-final was felt as much off the pitch as on it. But if he could recall that moment against England, as incredible as it may seem, Messi’s legend would grow even bigger.
