Poland v Argentina: Key moments as lucky Eagles qualify for last 16
Catch-up with all the stats and extended minute-by-minute updates of Poland v Argentina on Flashscore
Key moments
90+6' That's it for today, Danny Makkelie has blown his whistle and the game is over.
90+3' Nicolas Tagliafico (Argentina) blows a good chance to score. He collects a pass inside the box, but his effort to the middle of the goal is brilliantly blocked. Great defending!
86' Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) has to stretch for the ball in the box and sends it just wide of the left post.
83' Here's the change. Alexis Mac Allister leaves the pitch and Thiago Almada (Argentina) comes on as a substitute.
83' Substitution. Grzegorz Krychowiak did his best and is replaced by Krzysztof Piatek (Poland).
79' Substitution. Julian Alvarez makes his way off the pitch and Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) comes on as his replacement.
78' Grzegorz Krychowiak (Poland) receives a yellow card.
73' Golden chance! Julian Alvarez (Argentina) meets a cross in the box and finds some space for a shot. He produces an inaccurate effort that goes wide of the right post.
72' Artur Jedrzejczyk (Poland) joins the action as a substitute, replacing Bartosz Bereszynski.
71' Lionel Messi (Argentina) had time and space inside the box after picking up a neat pass, but his shot low towards the middle of the goal was comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny.
67' 0 - 2 Julian Alvarez (Argentina) connects with a pass inside the box and slams home inside the right post. The goalkeeper was helpless.
62' The referee stops play so that a substitution can be made and Damian Szymanski (Poland) replaces Krystian Bielik.
61' Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) gets on the end of a defence splitting pass inside the box and immediately directs a low shot towards the middle of the goal, but the Wojciech Szczesny makes a great save.
59' Here is a change. Marcos Acuna is going off and Lionel Scaloni gives the last tactical orders to Nicolas Tagliafico (Argentina).
59' A substitution has been made. Angel Di Maria is replaced by Leandro Paredes (Argentina).
50' Kamil Glik (Poland) leaps high deep inside the box to meet a beautiful cross from the resultant free kick. He glances a header goalwards, but it's not accurate and goes narrowly wide of the left post.
49' Danny Makkelie shows a yellow card to Marcos Acuna (Argentina), who isn't surprised as the tackle was really hard and late.
46' 0 - 1 Sensational! Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) shows off his superb ability as he volleys the ball from inside the box onto the bottom of the left post and into the net. The assist goes to Nahuel Molina and the score changes to 0:1.
Czeslaw Michniewicz has decided to introduce fresh legs, with Jakub Kaminski (Poland) replacing Przemyslaw Frankowski.
46' Today's match ends for Karol Swiderski who will be replaced by Michal Skoras (Poland).
46' The half-time break is over and the second half is about to start.
45+4' The referee blows his whistle to end the first half and the players are now heading to their respective dressing rooms.
43' Julian Alvarez (Argentina) has a sight of goal and shoots goalwards, but the goalkeeper makes a comfortable save.
39' Wojciech Szczesny dives to the left side of the goal and brilliantly saves the penalty taken by Lionel Messi (Argentina)!
37' Here comes the VAR decision. YES, it's a penalty!
37' Referee Danny Makkelie makes the VAR signal and is going to check whether it’s a penalty for Argentina. Let’s see what happens!
36' Lionel Messi (Argentina) goes down under a challenge in the box, but the ref immediately waves away the appeals from all players.
36' Julian Alvarez (Argentina) receives a precise pass and is given time inside the box to send a promising strike towards the left post. Wojciech Szczesny guesses his intentions and denies him with a fine save.
33' Angel Di Maria (Argentina) launches a cross from the corner, but Wojciech Szczesny is alert to thwart the effort. The ball is out of play. A goal-scoring opportunity from a corner for Argentina.
29' Marcos Acuna (Argentina) finds himself with a great opportunity! He unleashes a shot from the edge of the box, which whizzes just wide of the right post!
29' Wow, what an escape. Julian Alvarez (Argentina) has an effort from inside the box but it's brilliantly blocked.
11' Lionel Messi (Argentina) swept past a couple of defenders inside the box and tried to score in the left side of the goal, but great anticipation by Wojciech Szczesny allowed him to make a comfortable save. Argentina will take a corner kick.
1' The referee blows his whistle and we are underway.
Poland starting XI: Szczesny, Glik, Kiwior, Cash, Bereszynski, Krychowiak, Zielinski, Bielik, Frankowski, Swiderski, Lewandowski
Argentina starting XI: Martinez, Romero, Otamendi, Molina, De Paul, Acuna, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Di Maria, Alvarez, Messi
Preview
The good times are rolling for Poland after Robert Lewandowski netted his first World Cup goal in a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Defying expectations by sitting top of Group C, they now need just a point against Argentina to guarantee round-of-16 progression while a win will see them top a group stage for the first time since 1982, a campaign which saw them finish third.
Such ambitions may require an improvement on the scoring front as Poland have managed just four goals across their last six games. Though their frontline deficiencies have been disguised by a fierce defence that’s managed four clean sheets in a row and another here would be historic, as Poland have never kept a shutout against Argentina in 11 previous matches (W3, D2, L6).
Some described Argentina’s 2-1 opening-matchday defeat to Saudi Arabia as the “greatest upset in World Cup history” and despite bouncing back in a 2-0 victory over Mexico last time out, Argentina could face elimination unless they win here. The talismanic Lionel Messi provides Albiceleste fans undying belief however, and his long-range strike in their win on Saturday means he’s now the oldest and youngest player to both score and assist in a single World Cup game since 1966.
With this likely to be Messi’s ‘last dance’ on the global stage, Argentina will hope they can make it out of the group and rekindle hopes of adding a first-ever World Cup title to his glittering trophy cabinet. Another strong start may go some way to settling the nerves, with no side able to net first against Argentina since November 2020, but with dramatic upsets narrating a fascinating World Cup we should perhaps expect this to be a tense affair regardless.
Key battle: Aiming to become only the fourth goalkeeper this century to record a hat-trick of group stage shutouts, Wojciech Szczęsny saved a penalty in Poland’s win over Saudi Arabia, meaning he’s now saved 13 penalties from the 38 he’s faced since the start of 2018/19 - a whopping 34.21%. He’ll face Juventus teammate Ángel Di María, who has seen Argentina lose only once when he's assisted or scored (W35, D2), though that was in the last World Cup.
Hot stat: Since the 1970 edition, Argentina have had only one goalless draw in World Cup group stage games.
World Cup trivia: The youngest coach at a World Cup was Juan Tramutola, who was just 27 when he led Argentina in the 1930 edition.
