Lionel Messi was unable to convert a penalty and a last minute free kick. (Source: Reuters)
Argentina’s star-studded attacking line up was unable to find a way through Iceland’s multi-layered defensive wall and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. While Iceland defenders hounded the Argentine attackers, particularly their skipper Lionel Messi, as soon as they got anywhere close to the final third, it would have been a very different story had Messi managed to score from the penalty spot.
A number of interesting stats came out of the match, most of which won’t be a pleasant read for Messi and Argentina:
– Lionel Messi had 11 shots against Iceland, seven more than what Cristiano Ronaldo (4) had in Portugal’s match against Spain on Friday.
– Messi has now missed five of his last ten penalties for Argentia and Barcelona.
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– This is the first time that Argentina have failed to win their opening match at the World Cup since their 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in 1990, ending a streak of six wins.
– Iceland had a possession of 22.5 percent at the end of the match which is the second lowest in a World Cup match in the last 50 years.
– In 2016, Iceland tied against Portugal, 1-1. Ronaldo took 10 shots, no goals. Today, Iceland tied Argentina, 1-1. Messi took 11 shots, no goals. Ronaldo and Messi have now taken a combined 21 shots at Iceland and none have hit the target.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
First published on: 16-06-2018 at 10:53:02 pm
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