[World Cup] Argentina defeats Austria 2-0 with Messi involved in both goals! A solid performance leads to a comfortable win
In the clash between Argentina and Austria on the grand stage of the World Cup, the South American powerhouse Argentina controlled the game from start to finish, securing a 2-0 shutout victory.
Looking at the match stats, while Argentina controlled the ball (54% possession) and steadily created clear-cut chances, Austria attempted to counter with high intensity but ultimately succumbed to Argentina's sophisticated defense and the individual quality of Lionel Messi, who showed his class at key moments. We look back at a game where Argentina secured 3 points with what could be called a dominant performance.
1. Possession and Passing: Argentina's stable build-up vs. Austria's resilient effort
Argentina adopted a 4-4-2 formation while Austria went with a 4-2-3-1, leading to an intense exchange of passing in the center of the pitch.
Ball Possession: Argentina 54% vs 46% Austria
Accurate Passes (Success Rate): Argentina 494 (89%) vs 401 (86%) Austria
Passes in the Attacking Third (Success Rate): Argentina 75 (77%) vs 110 (71%) Austria
Touches in the Opponent's Box: Argentina 19 vs 18 Austria
Argentina recorded 494 accurate passes (89% success rate), demonstrating high stability in their build-up phase. Austria matched or exceeded Argentina in passes into the attacking third (110) and touches in the opponent's box (18), creating periods of possession and attack, but they struggled to create decisive chances against Argentina's well-organized defensive block.
2. Number and Quality of Chances: xG of '2.36 vs 0.53' proves the difference in attacking quality
The stats in the final third clearly show how efficiently Argentina created dangerous chances.
Total Shots (On Target): Argentina 12 (5) vs 6 (1) Austria
Shots inside the Penalty Area: Argentina 10 vs 4 Austria
Big Chances: Argentina 3 vs 1 Cape Verde (Austria)
Expected Goals (xG): Argentina 2.36 vs 0.53 Austria
xG Open Play: Argentina 1.46 vs 0.39 Austria
Argentina recorded double the total shots at 12 to 6. Furthermore, they fired 10 shots from inside the penalty area, constantly threatening the opponent's goal. The expected goals (xG) showed an overwhelming difference of 2.36 to 0.53, and the match was decided by Argentina's defensive solidity, which limited Austria to just one shot on target, and the high quality of their attackers in finishing their chances.
3. Argentina dominates on the ground vs. Austria shows grit in the air
Intense physical challenges were seen all over the pitch, leading to a tough game with 26 fouls recorded between both teams.
Duels Won: Argentina 50 (52%) vs 46 (48%) Austria
Ground Duels Won: Argentina 39 (57%) vs 30 (43%) Austria
Aerial Duels Won: Argentina 11 (41%) vs 16 (59%) Austria
Clearances / Blocks: Argentina 35 / 0 vs 15 / 5 Austria
Interceptions: Argentina 8 vs 9 Austria
Austria utilized their physical strength to gain an advantage in aerial duels (59% win rate), persistently clearing Argentina's crosses. However, Argentina dominated the ground game with a 57% win rate. With quick footwork and rapid reactions to recover second balls, they utilized their high defensive awareness to record 35 clearances, preventing Austria from finding a decisive breakthrough.
4. The prodigy who made the difference, and the men who supported the solid defense
Individual ratings reflect the performance of Argentina's key players, who determined the victory with exceptional quality, and the Austrian players who fought hard despite being forced onto the defensive.
[Argentina]
No. 10 Lionel Messi: Rating 8.7 ★
A stunning performance involved in all of the team's goals with god-like chance creation and finishing. Selected as MOM without question.
[Austria]
No. 8 David Alaba: Rating 7.4
As the leader of the defensive line, he fought against Argentina's powerful attack with desperate clearances and blocks.
No. 6 Nicolas Seiwald: Rating 7.3
Ran tirelessly in midfield and executed bold pressing against Argentina's build-up.
[Editor's Column] The style of champions. Shutting out Austria with Messi's magic and solid defense
Throughout the 90 minutes, the game content showed Argentina's dignity as World Cup champions.
Argentina efficiently scored two goals through the absolute individual brilliance of ace Messi, and displayed perfect risk management in defense, limiting the opponent to an expected goal value of 0.53. On the other hand, while Austria showed tactical maturity in carrying the ball to the attacking third, they were undone by the difference in quality inside the penalty area and could not break down Argentina's fortress.
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