Argentina secured a 1-0 victory over Uruguay of their South American World Cup qualifier on Friday, regardless of lacking Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez.
Thiago Almada delivered the decisive purpose with an excellent curling strike from outdoors the field, placing the reigning champions only one level away from securing direct qualification for subsequent yr’s match.
At present main the standings with 28 factors from 13 matches, Argentina might verify their place with not less than a draw in opposition to Brazil at residence on Tuesday.
Coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad holds a cushty 15-point benefit over seventh-placed Bolivia, with solely 5 rounds remaining within the qualifiers.
The final time Argentina and Brazil confronted off, Argentina claimed a 1-0 win on the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil sit in third place with 21 factors, simply forward of Uruguay and Paraguay, whereas Colombia holds the sixth spot with 19 factors.
Alongside Messi, Argentina had to deal with the absences of Martinez, Lisandro Martínez, and Rodrigo De Paul for his or her match in Montevideo.
La Gran Muralla Argentina 🇦🇷🚧 pic.twitter.com/9Psro1adhn
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) March 22, 2025
In consequence, coach Scaloni included Giuliano Simeone within the beginning lineup alongside Julian Alvarez and Almada in assault.
Uruguay, backed by a packed Centenario Stadium, began properly and had the very best alternatives within the first half. Nevertheless, Argentina started to take management after the break.
Almada’s breakthrough within the 68th minute got here after a number of missed alternatives in opposition to Uruguay’s goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.
“I used to be a bit anxious, very keen to play and to indicate why I used to be making the squad,” mentioned Almada, a member of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning workforce. “Now we’ve got to relaxation and await this match in opposition to Brazil, they are going to relaxation another day than us.
“We made a whole match, we absorbed the stress. Once we needed to play, we did it. And after we needed to defend, we did it too,” Scaloni acknowledged in a press convention. “I’m completely happy not just for our win, but additionally for the way the workforce behaves.”
Argentina will probably be with out Nico Gonzalez in opposition to Brazil after he obtained a pink card in stoppage time for a problem on Nahitan Nandez.
Brazil, in the meantime, face line-up points for Tuesday’s conflict, with beginning goalkeeper Alisson, defender Gabriel Magalhaes, and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes all unavailable.
