Argentina 2-1 Australia: Messi's 1000th performance proves memorable

Lionel Messi’s 1000th career outing for club and country was always going to be a memorable one but the Alien had to make it even sweeter as he helped Argentina reach the World Cup quarter finals by beating Australia

Despite Australia’s stunning performances in the group stages, this match was always going to be rather one sided as Scaloni’s men showed against Poland that they mean business.

But despite all this and

’s superiority in the first half, the two teams had little in the way of generating serious threats on each other’s goals. But as always, it was

’s brilliance that came to help Albiceleste as he created a chance out of nowhere by curling the ball into the corner of Matt Ryan’s goal. The goal came from a series of short passes that ended up with Leo Messi in the right corner of Australia’s 18-yard box.

But the second half’s story was different altogether as Argentina once again ramped up their intensity like they did so against Poland, until they managed to score the second goal from a Matt Ryan blunder who tried to dribble past two Argentina players but was dispossessed by Man City striker Alvarez who then converted the ball in the 57th minute to make it 2-0.

However, this wasn’t the game’s only howler as Craig Goodwin managed to score from a long range effort that was deflected by Enzo Fernandez into Argentina’s goal, making it 2-1 in the 77th minute which made the last quarter of the match a nervy one for Albiceleste.

Australia came alive after the goal and almost managed to get their second when Aziz Behic went on a solo run, dribbling past several of Argentina’s players only to be denied by a last-gasp Martinez tackle in front of the goal.

Similarly, Messi went on two solo runs and provided substitute Lautaro Martinez with tw chance to bury the game for Argentina but the Inter striker’s effort was way off target on the first and was then denied by goalie Matt Ryan.

A last-minute effort by

was spectacularly saved by Emiliano Martinez, ending the match 2-1 for the Albiceleste who now head into the quarter-finals to face Netherlands.

Follow 

 for the