The Argentina national team remain on course for the World Cup and took another step towards Qatar on Friday evening (local time).
Against Uruguay, it was Angel di Maria who scored the decisive goal to win the game after just seven minutes. At the Estadio Campeon del Siglo in Montevideo, the 33-year-old was played in on the right side of the penalty area after winning the ball early on and flicked the ball into the left corner. The hosts were unable to find an answer to this as the game progressed, and the two-time world champions ended up with a lacklustre victory.
Lionel Scaloni’s side thus remained unbeaten in their 26th consecutive match (the previous record, set in 1993, is held by Alfio Basile with 31 games) “Sometimes you just have to win and that’s what we did today,” said the 43-year-old, who has been in charge since August 2018. “It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it counts. “
Messi comes on for 15 minutes
Argentina, with the stricken Messi coming on for 15 minutes in the closing stages to help them find their “rhythm for the game ahead “ according to Scaloni, remain on course for the World Cup and six points behind Brazil, who have already qualified. The perennial rivals will face each other in a direct duel in San Juan on Wednesday. Argentina could then finally punch their ticket to the World Cup – both nations have already played one game less than their rivals after the chaotic abandonment of the match in September.
Third in the qualifying group is Ecuador (eight points behind Argentina with 20 points), with Chile, Colombia, Uruguay (all 16 points) and Peru (14) fighting for the fourth and final place, which entitles them to direct qualification. The fifth-placed team will take part in the intercontinental play-offs.
