Argentina 1-1 Iceland
The Argentina-Iceland game was a big moment for Group D, the nations involved, and the many football fans watching the World Cup 2018 from all over the world. This could be Lionel Messi’s final campaign for the Albiceleste should they burn out of the competition yet again, so a victory against Iceland would have helped start their campaign on the right foot.
However, the perennial underdogs did what was expected out of them: defy the World Cup 2018 odds stacked against them and walk away with a point. They managed to contain a team with some of the world’s best attacking players with good defensive positioning and a systematic approach to the game.
This is a brilliant performance for Heimir Hallgrimsson and the rest of the Strakamir okkar. Meanwhile, Messi and friends will definitely rue the missed chances they had while playing under the burning gaze of Diego Maradona.
Highlights of the game
Argentine fans and many of the neutrals attracted to the many big names in the Argentina lineup were treated to an early treat as Argentina passed the ball around and tried to poke a five-man Icelandic defensive line. Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi had a crack at the goal in the fifth minute, and Nicolas Tagliafico wasted a Lionel Messi free kick in the ninth minute.
It was close to twenty minutes when the first goal was scored in Argentina’s favour. The frantic action eventually saw Sergio Aguero with the ball and not a lot of white shirts surrounding him. He controlled the ball and fired the ball to the top-left corner. Hannes Halldorsson couldn’t do anything as it went in to give Argentina a one-goal lead.
However, the Albiceleste lead would evaporate as quickly as it came. Ragnar Sigurdsson powered a low drive to the ball, forcing Willie Caballero to make a spill save. Alfred Finnbogason was the quickest to reach the rebound and shoot the ball to the net. The Icelandic corner of the Otkrytiye Arena launched into a frenzy after flattening score once more.
Argentina continued to mount the pressure on Iceland as they tried to get the advantage back, but Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson did well in leading the midfield and the defence and ensured that their disciplined lines would not fall to the free-flowing formation of their opponents.
The game went to the second half with the score still tied, and not much happened at the start. Johann Gudmundsson suffered a knock in the 61st minute, forcing Hallgrimsson to field Rurik Gislason in his place.
The biggest highlight of the game happened two minutes after the Burnley man went down. A hard tackle by Hordur Bjorvin Magnusson forced Iceland to concede a penalty. Lionel Messi took the ball to the spot, and Hannes Halldorsson was the only man left between Argentina’s No 10 and the goal.
Messi took the kick and sent it to the left. Halldorsson, who also directed a World Cup Coca-Cola commercial, choose the right way to go and made a brilliant save that will definitely make him a hero to the 340,000-strong nation.
The game went downhill from that point on. Substitute Cristian Pavon supposedly took a dive late in the game, but VAR showed that he was actually tackled by an Icelandic defender. Gonzalo Higuain also tried to make his mark from the bench, but the box had as much as eight white shirts whenever Argentina had the ball in their area.
The game had five added minutes, but that wasn’t enough for Messi and company to sort things out and get a dramatic late goal that has become the staple in the first games of the World Cup.
Key statistics
Iceland knew that it would be virtually impossible to get the ball from Argentina and gave up actually trying to get the ball for the attack. The Albiceleste had 78% of the ball and were free to do whatever they wanted.
However, there were always at least five Icelandic bodies aiding Halldorsson whenever Argentina got into dangerous territory. There were also at least two to three defenders ready to pounce on Messi. Iceland knew that they had to deny the Barcelona star any opportunities to find an easy opening at goal, and Hallgrimsson did a brilliant job at that.
Messi’s shooting showed just how frustrated he and the rest of Jorge Sampaoli’s team were: No 10 had 11 shots on goal, but only three were shot on target. With the squad relying heavily on his gravitas to get things done, this was not a good statistic to know.
The draw also marks Iceland’s first-ever point won in the FIFA World Cup. They haven’t gotten into the World Cup final ever since they first started competing in 1958, and Finnbogasson’s goal will become the stuff of legend to the nation’s loyal fans.
What’s next?
While the draw has set Argentina back a couple of paces, they are still favourites to make it out of their group and into the knockout stages. Diego Maradona wants Messi to experience triumph at the World Cup, and there’s little doubt that he will not answer to those calls.
They have a tough match against Croatia, but I don’t find it hard to believe that Sampaoli will be able to motivate his lads into performing better. The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium will bear witness to another 90 minutes of entertaining, flashy football.
Meanwhile, Iceland will steel themselves against another tough test in Nigeria. The Super Eagles are a tough group with their own crop of impressive players. However, the Strakamir okkar have nothing to fear.
If they can stop Messi, they can contain anyone at this World Cup. And you can be sure that SBOBET will keep an eye on these underdogs’ tantalising trek through their first World Cup.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE WORLD CUP 2018 STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
