The Poles do not win, but go to the playoffs

By the 3rd round in group "C" everything was completely confused. There was no clear leader here. Yes, the Argentina national team is, of course, strong, but in the 1st round they managed to lose to Saudi Arabia and approached the final match with only three points after defeating Mexico. The Poles had four points, three for Saudi Arabia and one for Mexico. Each team could leave the group from any place. The Argentines, in order not to look back at the result of a parallel match, needed to confidently defeat the Poles. However, the Poles desperately needed three points too.

From the first minutes, as expected, Argentina went on the attack. Messi had a dangerous moment: he received a pass in the center, threw it to the left edge of someone else's penalty area, ran away from the defenders and hit from the goalkeeper's corner under the near post, but Szczesny parried the ball for a corner.

Infrequently, the Poles disturbed the Argentina national team with attacks. A couple of not the most dangerous corners - that's all they could oppose the opponent. But Albicelesta clearly wanted to decide the outcome of the match in the first half. Di Maria from the corner twisted under the crossbar, but Szczesny managed to return to the frame in time and in a jump transferred the ball back to the corner.

At the 38th minute, the Dutch referee Makkeli pointed to the 11-meter mark at the Poles' goal. To award a penalty, he even went to watch the VAR cameras himself: after a dangerous shot, Szczesny parried the ball, but in flight he touched Messi's face with his hand. It seemed that the goalkeeper could not stop the flight in any way, but the referees saw a deliberate blow to the face.

Messi himself volunteered to perform. He beat to the right of the center of the gate, and Shchesny jumped there, hitting the ball out of bounds.

But luck turned away from the Poles from the very beginning of the second half. In the first minute, Molina beat di Maria from the right edge, and then drove under the penalty line to McAllister. The one on the right in touch sent the ball into the goal, and Schensny, who jumped after him, did not reach.

Soon there was another moment for the Argentine: Messi launched an attack with a cutting pass to the left at Paredes. He shot to the center at McAllister, but he sent the ball into the hands of the Polish goalkeeper.

And yet she achieved her albiceleste. Fernandez received the ball from the penalty area, otpasoval Alvarez, and he sent it to the right nine – 2:0!

The Argentines could have scored the third, fourth, fifth... The Poles clearly fell apart after the second conceded goal. But everything has not been decided for them at this championship yet. The parallel match between Mexico and Saudi Arabia was slightly behind. And after the final whistle, the Poles joined the phones to know how the rivals would finish.

Saudi Arabia's goal at the end of the meeting with Mexico brought Poland further due to the better difference between goals scored and conceded goals. Although, if it did not happen, the Poles went on anyway. And again, according to an additional indicator - the number of yellow cards.

Match protocol

Poland - Argentina - 0:2 (0:0)

November 30th. Doha. Stadium "Stadium 974".

Referee - Makkeli (Netherlands).

Poland: Szczesny, Kesh, Bereszynski (Jendrzejczyk, 72), Glick, Kiver, Belik (Shymanski, 62), Krychowiak (Pentek, 83), Zielinski, Lewandowski, Swiderski (Skuras, 46), Frankowski (Kaminski, 46).

Argentina: Martinez, De Paul, Acuña (Tagliafico 59), Alvarez (Martinez 79), Messi, di Maria (Paredes 59), Romero, Otamendi, Mac Allister (Almada 84), Fernandez (Pezzella 79), Molina.

Goals: 0:1 McAllister (46), 0:2 Alvarez (67).

Did not convert a penalty - Messi (39, goalkeeper).

Booked: Krychowiak (78) - Akunya (49).