BUENOS AIRES —
Lionel Messi scored during his return to the national team as
Argentina stretched their world-leading unbeaten run to 30 matches with a
routine 3–0 World Cup qualifying win over Venezuela on Friday.
اضافة اعلان
Goals from
Nicolas Gonzalez and
Angel Di Maria, both
created by Rodrigo De Paul, also kept a packed Bombonera stadium enthralled in
Buenos Aires for a match that had nothing riding on it.
Argentina have long qualified for the
World Cup in Qatar later this year, while Venezuela were the first team in South America’s
single 10-nation qualification group to be eliminated.
The victory kept
Argentina just four points behind
group leaders Brazil with two matches to go.
Venezuela are now guaranteed to finish bottom after
a 13th defeat in 17 qualifiers so far.
All four automatic qualification spots have been
decided ahead of next week’s qualification finale, with
Uruguay and
Ecuador booking their tickets to Qatar on Thursday night.
The only thing that remains undecided is who will
finish fifth and head into an intercontinental qualification play-off.
Peru lead that battle by a point from
Colombia and
two ahead of Chile.
Argentina dominated from the off and opened the
scoring 10 minutes before half-time as Gonzalez managed to stay onside to slide
in De Paul’s precise right wing cross from six yards.
Messi was heavily involved on his return, having
been rested for Argentina’s previous two qualifiers.
The veteran seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had three
shots at goal from direct free-kicks but was unable to even test goalkeeper
Wuilker Farinez.
Substitute Di Maria finally secured the victory 11
minutes from time when he ran onto De Paul’s inch perfect ball from deep,
before cutting inside onto his left foot and chipping the ball over Farinez and
a back-peddling defender on the line.
Moments later, Di Maria turned provider, dinking the ball
into the area where Messi arrived unmarked with time to control the ball on his
chest before scuffing a shot home from six yards out.
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