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Leandro Paredes beat a Lionel Messi record as he netted for Argentina against Indonesia in a 2-0 friendly win on Monday (June 19).
Paredes launched a rocket from distance, which settled in the back of the net. His goal was from a distance of 31.4 meters. He's now the player who has scored from the furthest distance under manager Lionel Scaloni. Argentina captain Messi had held the record, converting from a distance of 28.9 meters against Uruguay.
Apart from Paredes, Cristian Romero was the other goalscorer for La Albiceleste. The Tottenham Hotspur star has now scored twice for his country. Both of the central defender's goals have come via headers.
Lionel Messi was rested for the game, along with Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi. Scaloni had said after the win against Australia (via Mundo Albiceleste) in Beijing four days ago:
“We believe it is fair. It’s my decision. They did not ask me to do it. It’s fair that they rest, that they go to their families. They deserve it more than anyone else. Logically, every one would like to go home, but none of the others asked me, so it means that they are fine here. That’s good.”
Leandro Paredes had a good game for Argentina in Lionel Messi's absence
In Lionel Messi's absence, Leandro Paredes stood up and showed his quality for Argentina. The Paris Saint-Germain star, who spent the 2022-23 season away on loan at Juventus, was one of the team's main orchestrators.
He completed a massive 99 passes against the 149th-ranked Indonesians. The 28-year-old also boasted an impressive 94% passing accuracy. He completed two crosses and seven long balls, too, and had one shot on target and won three ground duels.
Moreover, he made four key passes. Overall, it was a great display from the player. He grabbed the opportunity to impress as Scaloni had named a second-string lineup against Indonesia.
