Argentina made history on Tuesday night, defeating their arch-rivals Brazil 4-1 in a thrilling encounter that left fans and pundits alike stunned. This impressive victory marked Argentina’s highest winning margin against Brazil since the 1940s. Coach Lionel Scaloni was over the moon with his team’s performance, praising their unity and coordination as the key factors behind their success.
„We didn’t just win, we played as a team, and that’s what made the difference. Everyone knew their role, and that’s what gave us the result,” Scaloni said in the post-match conference.
The match got off to a blistering start, with Argentina scoring two goals in the first 12 minutes. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring, capitalizing on Thiago Almada’s precise pass into the box. Enzo Fernandez doubled the lead shortly after, thanks to a well-worked move involving Nahuel Molina and Wesley Franca. The home crowd was ecstatic, and the atmosphere in Buenos Aires was electric.
Brazil pulled one back through Matheus Cunha in the 26th minute, but Argentina regained their two-goal advantage before halftime. Alexis Mac Allister found the net in the 37th minute, courtesy of a clever pass from Fernandez.
The second half saw Argentina continue to dominate, with Giuliano Simeone scoring a stunning goal in the 71st minute to seal the deal. This was Simeone’s first goal for the senior national team, and what a way to mark his debut!
Brazil’s coach, Dorival Junior, was left scratching his head, admitting that his team’s plan had failed miserably. „This is a very serious defeat, and I need to analyze what went wrong,” he said.
Marquinhos, Brazil’s vice-captain, took responsibility for the team’s poor performance. „We all need to take responsibility for this defeat. We should have played better. Argentina had their difficult moments too, but they managed to overcome them, and so can we.”
The result leaves Argentina top of the South American World Cup qualifiers with 31 points, eight points clear of second-placed Ecuador. Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay are tied on 21 points, while Colombia lies sixth with 20 points. These six teams are favorites to secure direct qualification to the 2024 World Cup.
In contrast, Venezuela and Bolivia are struggling, with 15 and 14 points respectively, making them likely candidates for the intercontinental playoffs.
This emphatic victory serves as a massive confidence booster for Argentina, who have been on a remarkable run of form. With their World Cup qualification already secured, they can now focus on fine-tuning their strategy for the biggest stage of them all.
Key Stats:
* This is Argentina’s highest winning margin against Brazil since 1945.
* Argentina has won 4 consecutive matches against Brazil in World Cup qualifiers.
* Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez were both absent from the match due to injuries.
* Argentina has secured 31 points from 14 matches, 8 points clear of second-placed Ecuador.
* Brazil has not lost a World Cup qualifier by more than 3 goals since 1975.
Sources:
* FIFA.com
* UEFA.com
* ESPN.com
* AS.com
