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Argentina made hard work of minnows Qatar to stumble into the quarter-finals of the Copa America 2019 with a crucial 2-0 victory.
Coming into the fixture on the back of one point from two games, it was all on the line for Lionel Scaloni’s men to deliver and so they did by doing the bare minimum.
A Gustavo Cuellar winner ensured Group B leaders Colombia took charge of Argentina’s fate in fine fashion by putting Paraguay to the sword.
Calamitous defending from Bassam Al-Rawi gifted Lautaro Martinez his early opener and the razor-sharp Sergio Aguero’s solo strike in the 82nd minute proved enough for a triumph for La Albiceleste.
While there are no surprises with the Argentines ending up on the winning side, Qatar’s superior cutting edge in transition raised plenty of eyebrows.
Questions aplenty for Lionel Messi and Co. have been left unanswered, but the 14-time Copa America champions live to fight another day.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Gold Cup Standings, Copa America Standings.
#5 Rodrigo De Paul’s bright display is Scaloni’s biggest takeaway
Rodrigo De Paul was the epicenter of everything positive for Argentina. With more touches (91) than any player on the pitch, the Udinese star sparkled as a right-sided midfielder, exhibiting his neat footwork, impressive range of passing and tirelessness to bomb down the flank.
It was an all-encompassing display from the 25-year old as he boasted the deftness that is demanded from a central midfielder while covering a lot of ground to provide width with aplomb due to his depth of experience as a natural left-winger.
De Paul showcased his commendable versatility and dictated the tempo of the side’s encouraging transitions by adeptly linking up with Messi in the half-spaces.
#4 Argentina took their foot off the pedal after going up early
After a catastrophic start to their Copa America campaign and question marks raised about La Albiceleste's progress to the knockouts, Argentina were touted to come back with a vengeance.
A fluid start to the tie showed Scaloni’s men meant business and after just four minutes, Martinez pounced upon a diabolical attempt to play the ball out from the back from Al-Rawi to punish Qatar.
However, complacency set in as Argentina bizarrely sat back and let the opposition ease themselves back into the contest.
The Maroons capitalized on several occasions and on another day, another upset would be on the cards for the South Americans on the big stage.
Qatar may not have possessed the sheer quality to take Argentina to the cleaners for their alarming dearth of urgency, but a side of more superior standards will test the bottle of this shaky side to the hilt further in this competition.
#3 Positives for Qatar as they held their own
Qatari football has experienced an upsurge like none other in the past six months after lifting the AFC Asian Cup and earning their right to partake in the Copa America as their continent’s prime representatives.
Their expectations were revised as they reached the tournament, going toe-to-toe with global superstars of the highest caliber. Yet, they did not look out of place against a side that boasts the greatest player to grace the game.
Argentina’s lethargy after taking the lead could be faulted as the reason, but equally, the brilliance of the likes of Abdulaziz Hatem, Ro-Ro and Hassan Al-Haydos in such a huge tie must be held in high regard.
Under former Barcelona youth coach, Felix Sanchez’s stewardship, Qatar is taking major strides as a competent footballing nation and tonight’s display is a testament to that.
#2 An off day could not stop Sergio Aguero from turning on the heat
At this point in his career, there is no questioning the mastery of Sergio Aguero. Despite his proven track record of bullying defences across Europe for the best part of a decade, even the most gifted of talents have off days and the Manchester City striker was certainly having one to forget.
Fluffing his lines on a mirage of occasions, Aguero seemed to have left his shooting boots alongside compatriot Gabriel Jesus’ pair as the dup looked off the boil for their countries.
However, the Argentinian ace showcased his unique ability to bounce back emphatically when the chips are down.
Aguero’s dancing feet left Boualem Khoukhi for dead as he slotted a tidy finish to cap off a special goal. This was not just of a display of impeccable skill, but also an elite mentality.
#1 Silky cameo earns Paulo Dybala a quarter-final starting spot
Paulo Dybala is no stranger to making an impression when it counts and the Juventus forward did just that in his 15 minutes off the bench in national colors impressing scaloni and his argentine teammates.
Replacing goalscorer Martinez, the former Palermo prodigy drifted from the right-wing to central areas, offering more of a balance to the attack than his counterpart and proving to be lethal in attack as well.
Dybala and Aguero showcased a couple of instances of a blossoming partnership up front. In the 82nd minute, Argentina’s No.21 set it on a plate for the Manchester City striker to finish.
While it would be undeniably harsh to instruct Martinez to sit out the next game after getting on the scoresheet, Dybala is too much of a gamechanger to just contribute as a substitute.
