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Lionel Messi saved a penalty, but Argentina still qualified for the last 16 Globalism Group C Cup after a 2-0 win over Poland on Wednesday.
Poland also qualified in second place, despite Mexico’s 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in the other match of the group, which made coach Czeslaw Michniewicz’s team advance by goal difference only.
Alexis McAllister’s 46th-minute goal calmed Argentina’s nerves after a tense first half, before Julian Alvarez doubled their lead just 20 minutes later.
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Argentina were unable to find their way past Wojciech Szczesny in the first 45 minutes as the Poland goalkeeper saved his second penalty of the tournament.
Szczesny was adjudged to have fouled Messi as he was stretching to reach a cross, but he jumped in to his left to beat the resulting penalty.
It was the 31st penalty Messi failed to convert in his career.
Poland offered few attacking threats, with superstar Robert Lewandowski remaining virtually anonymous throughout the match.
Instead, it was left to Szczesny to take pole position for the Poles, denying Messi two crucial early stops.
In the beginning, Messi got rid of a group of defenders before firing a shot directly in the direction of the goalkeeper.
He then found space to get into the Polish square down the left, forcing a save by Szczesny at his near post.
Argentina continued to create the better chances in the first half and Marcos Acuna fired a long shot after Alvarez also came close to breaking the deadlock.
Chesney had to scramble to prevent Ángel Di Maria from scoring directly from a corner kick, before the goalkeeper was called on again to block Álvarez.
– Penalty saved –
Chesney outdid himself when he slid to his left to stop Messi’s penalty in the 39th minute.
He still had plenty to do before the half-time whistle, volleying a shot from Alvarez before parrying Rodrygo De Paul’s follow-up.
There was nothing he could do when Mac Allister broke the deadlock less than a minute after the break.
Nahuel Molina sprinted in from the right, then cut the ball back for McAllister to dig in just beyond Chesney’s reach.
The goal forced Poland to show some late attacking ambition and Kamil Celik headed it wide from an almost direct free kick after the second half.
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Argentina continued to search for more goals, and Alvarez scored the second goal, after good cooperation with Enzo Fernandez.
Fernández, making his first start for Argentina, picked his team mate up, who made a save for the defender before smashing the ball past Szczesny.
Poland was still walking a tightrope with yellow cards that could potentially be crucial to their chances of reaching the last 16.
Grzegorz Krychowiak got into the book in the 83rd minute, but a late goal from Saudi Arabia against Mexico put the Poles safely ahead on goal difference.
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