World Cup: Messi nets record-breaking brace as Argentina sink Austria
| Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images. |
Argentina, orchestrated by the brilliance of Lionel Messi, secured a 2-0 victory over Ralf Rangnick's Austria side laden with Bundesliga talent this evening. Messi's brace took him past former World Cup top-scorer and Germany great Miroslav Klose, whose 16 goals previously topped the all-time chart.
A heart-in-mouth moment arrived for Austria as early on when Stefan Posch, sporting unique headwear after he broke his jaw in their 3-1 win over Jordan, tripped Lionel Messi in the box. VAR confirmed a foul was committed, but the aforementioned Messi pulled his spot-kick right and wide.
Austria threatened before the initial hydration break when a cross escaped the head of ex-Bayern talent Paul Wanner, but sat up for Dortmund's Marcel Sabitzer who struck it into an Argentine midriff. However, Argentina's presence in the final third was starting the grow, as was the sense of inevitability.
Seven minutes prior to the interval, Facundo Medina skipped past Posch to deliver a ball into the box. Arriving on cue was 38-year-old Messi, whipping a record-breaking 17th-ever World Cup goal past the despairing Schlager. Ten minutes after the break, Sabitzer stung the palms of Emi Martinez from a free-kick effort.
The game, often quite scrappy at times, regularly to swung in momentum past the hour. An Argentine chance at one end preceded a Sabitzer cross from which Augsburg's Michael Gregoritsch could only head over the bar. Marco Friedl and Alex Prass made cameos off the bench with 20 minutes left.
TSG Hoffenheim's latest signing Patrick Wimmer also featured and flicked wide from a cross, but the game was put beyond doubt in injury time. Messi's desire to clean up the scraps saw the maestro squeeze the ball past Nicolas Seiwald on the goal-line and take his total World Cup goal tally up to 18 of the best.
