Buenos Aires, September 6, 2024 — Argentina showcased their dominance in South American World Cup qualifying with a commanding 3-0 victory over Chile at the Estadio Más Monumental. The win consolidates Argentina’s position at the top of the CONMEBOL qualifying table for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Key Highlights:
- 90+5’ Full Time: Argentina 3-0 Chile
The referee’s final whistle brought an end to a one-sided contest, as Argentina sealed their third goal in the dying moments of the match. - 90+1’ Goal: Paulo Dybala
In the final minutes, Dybala capitalized on a well-worked corner. Alejandro Garnacho’s pass found Dybala, who fired a left-footed shot past Chilean goalkeeper Gabriel Arias, adding the finishing touch to Argentina’s performance. - 84’ Goal: Julian Alvarez
Alvarez extended Argentina’s lead with a spectacular strike from outside the box. After Enzo Fernandez won the ball from a Chilean error, Alvarez unleashed a powerful shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net. - 48’ Goal: Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister opened the scoring shortly after the second half began. A low cross from Alvarez was expertly finished by Mac Allister, giving Argentina a crucial early second-half goal.
First Half:
- Despite Argentina’s dominance, the first half ended 0-0. Chile had a close call when Matias Catalan hit the post with a header, but Emiliano Martinez managed to recover the ball. The half saw intense action with both teams creating chances but failing to convert them into goals.
Key Moments:
- 71’ Yellow Card: Argentina’s Gio Lo Celso was booked for a rough tackle on Felipe Loyola.
- 65’ Yellow Card: Chile’s Paulo Diaz received a yellow card for a foul on Lautaro Martinez during an Argentine counter-attack.
- 51’ Substitution: Argentina’s Gonzalez was replaced by Giovani Lo Celso due to injury.
Lineups:
- Argentina: Emiliano Martinez (GK), Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi (C), Lisandro Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Nicolas Gonzalez.
- Chile: Gabriel Arias (GK), Mauricio Isla (C), Paulo Diaz, Thomas Galdames, Matias Catalan, Marcelino Nunez, Rodrigo Echeverria, Felipe Loyola, Dario Osorio, Eduardo Vargas, Victor Davila.
Next Fixtures:
Argentina will look to maintain their unbeaten streak as they face Colombia on September 11, 2024. Chile, on the other hand, will need to regroup and improve their performance to climb up the qualifying standings.
The victory reaffirms Argentina’s status as a strong contender in the qualifiers, even in the absence of their talisman, Lionel Messi, who was sidelined due to an ankle injury. The team’s cohesive performance and clinical finishing against Chile underline their World Cup ambitions.
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