Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream lives on after Argentina edged out the Netherlands on penalties after a hugely dramatic quarter-final at Lusail Stadium.
Messi looked to have inspired Argentina into a last-four meeting with Brazil’s conquerors Croatia when he set up Nahuel Molina’s opener 10 minutes before the break and then added the second from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after Denzel Dumfries fouled Marcos Acuna.
Louis van Gaal, in his final game as Dutch coach, went for broke and it paid off as substitute Wout Weghorst led a sensational comeback by scoring twice, the second following an audacious free-kick routine 11 minutes into stoppage time.
A game of many flashpoints and more than a dozen yellow cards went to penalties, during which Aston Villa’s Argentina keeper Emi Martinez emerged as the hero, saving from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis.
Messi scored his penalty and even though pressure mounted on Argentina when Enzo Fernandez dragged his spot-kick wide, Lautaro Martinez made the decisive contribution to spark wild scenes of celebration.
More to follow.
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Line-ups
Netherlands
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 23Noppert
- 2TimberBooked at 43mins
- 4van Dijk
- 5Aké
- 22DumfriesBooked at 128mins
- 15de RoonSubstituted forKoopmeinersat 45′minutes
- 21F de Jong
- 17BlindSubstituted forL de Jongat 64′minutes
- 8GakpoSubstituted forLangat 113′minutesBooked at 128mins
- 10DepayBooked at 76minsSubstituted forWeghorstat 78′minutesBooked at 45mins
- 7BergwijnBooked at 90minsSubstituted forBerghuisat 45′minutesBooked at 88mins
Substitutes
- 1Pasveer
- 3de Ligt
- 6de Vrij
- 9L de Jong
- 11Berghuis
- 12Lang
- 13Bijlow
- 14Klaassen
- 16Malacia
- 18Janssen
- 19Weghorst
- 20Koopmeiners
- 24Taylor
- 25Simons
- 26Frimpong
Argentina
Formation 5-3-2
- 23E Martínez
- 26MolinaSubstituted forMontielat 105′minutesBooked at 109mins
- 13RomeroBooked at 45minsSubstituted forPezzellaat 78′minutesBooked at 112mins
- 19OtamendiBooked at 90mins
- 25Li MartínezBooked at 76minsSubstituted forDi Maríaat 112′minutes
- 8AcuñaBooked at 43minsSubstituted forTagliaficoat 78′minutes
- 7De PaulSubstituted forParedesat 66′minutesBooked at 89mins
- 24Fernández
- 20Mac Allister
- 10MessiBooked at 90mins
- 9ÁlvarezSubstituted forLa Martínezat 82′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Armani
- 2Foyth
- 3Tagliafico
- 4Montiel
- 5Paredes
- 6Pezzella
- 11Di María
- 12Rulli
- 14Palacios
- 15Correa
- 16Almada
- 17Gómez
- 18Rodríguez
- 21Dybala
- 22La Martínez
- Referee:
- Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz
- Attendance:
- 88,235
Live Text
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Match ends, Netherlands 2(3), Argentina 2(4).
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Noa Lang (Netherlands) is shown the yellow card.
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Penalty Shootout ends, Netherlands 2(3), Argentina 2(4).
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Goal! Netherlands 2(3), Argentina 2(4). Lautaro Martínez (Argentina) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands) is shown the yellow card.
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Goal! Netherlands 2(3), Argentina 2(3). Luuk de Jong (Netherlands) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
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Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Enzo Fernández (Argentina) right footed shot is close, but misses to the left. Enzo Fernández should be disappointed.
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Goal! Netherlands 2(2), Argentina 2(3). Wout Weghorst (Netherlands) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Goal! Netherlands 2(1), Argentina 2(3). Gonzalo Montiel (Argentina) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Netherlands 2(1), Argentina 2(2). Teun Koopmeiners (Netherlands) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Netherlands 2, Argentina 2(2). Leandro Paredes (Argentina) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty saved! Steven Berghuis (Netherlands) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Netherlands 2, Argentina 2(1). Lionel Messi (Argentina) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty saved! Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
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Penalty Shootout begins Netherlands 2, Argentina 2.
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Second Half Extra Time ends, Netherlands 2, Argentina 2.
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Enzo Fernández (Argentina) hits the left post with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Lionel Messi following a corner.
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Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Andries Noppert.
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Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Noa Lang.
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Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Enzo Fernández.
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