Poland 0 Argentina 2 LIVE RESULT: Mac Allister and Alvarez FIRE Argentina into last-16 after Messi missed penalty
ARGENTINA have topped Group C with victory over Poland, who also make it into the last-16 by the skin of their teeth.
Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the first-half after a VAR intervened to send the referee over to the monitor.
After review, the man in the middle decided that Wojciech Szczesny impeded the forward, but the goalkeeper made up for his error and pulled off a fantastic save to deny Messi.
However, just moments after the restart, Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister fired his side into the lead.
Man City star Julian Alvarez netted a second to give the South Americans a comfortable lead.
At one point, Mexico and Poland were level on points, goals scored, goals against, and head-to-head record... So it was set to go to fair play (with Poland having the better record) to decide who proceed before a late Saudi Arabia goal secured qualification for Poland.
- Start time: 7pm UK
- TV: BBC One
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer
- Group C: LIVE TABLE
- Poland XI: Szczesny, Glik, Kiwior, Cash, Bereszynski, Krychowiak, Zielinski, Bielik, Frankowski, Swiderski, Lewandowski
- Argentina XI: Martinez, Romero, Otamendi, Molina, De Paul, Acuna, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Di Maria, Alvarez, Messi
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Half Time: Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
We're goalless at the break.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
45+3, Argentina have one last foray forward before the half but Messi's one-two is intercepted on the edge of the area.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
45+2, Lewandowski wins a throw near the halfway line to relieve the pressure on his side.
That might just ensure that Poland go into the break still level.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
45, We're going to have 3 minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
Can Poland hold out?
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Martin Lipton in Qatar:
Wow!
Even Messi didn’t think that was a penalty.
Never in a million years.I’m surprised that a ref as experienced as Danny Makkelie - and he’s the best VAR official in the business - overturned his earlier, correct, call.
But what a brilliant save by Szczesny.
Martin Lipton
Justice. Not only done but seen to be done.Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
43, Alvarez forces another save from Szczesny.
Alvarez uses Acuna's decoy run to generate some space on the edge of the penalty area but his effort is straight at the Poland goalkeeper.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
41, Argentina are all over Poland here.
Messi tries to make up for his penalty miss but his low ball across the face of goal flies through the six yard box without being touched.
Poland must be praying for the half time whistle.
Penalty missed! Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
39, Szczesny saves!
It's a fantastic save by the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper.
He threw himself to his left to touch Messi's penalty round the post.
It does feel as though justice was done there after that harsh penalty decision.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
38, The referee points to the spot!
That seemed very harsh.
Messi had already headed wide when the goalkeeper made contact with him as he came to punch the cross away.
Messi has the chance to put Argentina ahead...
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
36, VAR is having a look for a possible foul on Messi by Szczesny shortly after the save from Alvarez...
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
35, Alvarez should have scored!
Mac Allister just romps through the Poland midfield without a single opposition player even trying to tackle him.
The Brighton man plays the ball through for Alvarez but his effort is saved by Szczesny.
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Martin Lipton in Qatar:
Robert Lewandowski would be slightly less isolated if he was on a single-man mission to Mars.
At least he’s got the cheerful, not in any way rugged Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi for company. And he’s probably picked up enough Spanish by now to have a little chat.
Whistles from Argentina whenever a Polish player goes down for treatment are absolutely ear-splitting.
But for all the possession, they haven’t actually given them much to shout about.
Martin Lipton
Not that this lot NEED anything to shout about…Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
31, Robert Lewandowski has been more isolated than Robinson Crusoe tonight.
There hasn't been a single white shirt within 20 yards of him when he's been on the ball.
Perhaps this is why he's struggled to score goals at the World Cup.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
29, Argentina go close!
Alvarez thinks he's scored but his shot towards the bottom corner is miraculously blocked.
The ball eventually falls to Acuna who lets fly but his strike whistles right across the face of goal.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
28, Otamendi has just flown into a tackle with Frankowski on the halfway line.
These Argentina defenders play so aggressively.
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Martin Lipton in Qatar:
The trouble with playing as deep as Poland are, is that when you do win the ball, there’s nowhere to go.
So it comes back even higher up the pitch next time round.
It’s all rather reminiscent of England trying to hold onto a lead in a tournament. Any tournament for the past 40 years.
Except England don’t tend to do it from the first whistle. Normally.
Martin LiptonPoland 0 – 0 Argentina
24, Matty Cash does well to block Di Maria's low ball across goal at the near post.
The Aston Villa right back has looked good so far tonight.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
22, Kamil Glik flicks a cross towards goal that Emi Martinez comfortably collects.
Glik must be in his 60's by now, surely?
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
20, Matty Cash wins a free-kick for Poland just inside Argentina's half of the pitch.
That's was such a bizarre sentence to write.
Big fan of Matty Cash turning out for Poland though.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
18, Messi picks out Acuna at the back post with a brilliant pass to the back post but the full back can't direct his header on target.
Poland can't afford to keep giving Messi this much space.
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Martin Lipton in Qatar:
Fabio Capello always used to say that the modern tactical shape was not 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 but “9-1”.
Well, Poland are slightly varying from that. It’s 8-1-1.
At least, it is as soon as Argentina get within 40 yards of their goal.
The noise from the Argentine fans is relentless, too. Especially when you know who gets near the ball.
Martin Lipton
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
15, Poland are giving a better account of themselves now.
They're doing their best to hold onto possession for a bit longer rather than just knocking it long for Lewandowski at the first opportunity.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
11, Messi tests Szczesny!
Messi finds space inside the Poland penalty area, shifts the ball onto his left foot and fires it towards the near post.
Szczesny is equal to it and palms the ball out for a corner.
It's all Argentina here.
Poland 0 – 0 Argentina
9, Romero makes his first foul on]f the game for a late tackle on Lewandowski near the halfway line.
I don't think that'll be Romero's last...
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Martin Lipton in Qatar:
Not sure if the TV cameras pick it up but there’s more than a hint of purple about this Argentina change kit.
And an awful lot of white shirts between the South American attacking line and Wojciech Szczesny’s goal.
Does seem like it will be a high-stakes version of attack against defence for most of the 90 minutes.
Martin Lipton