Lionel Messi and Di Maria shines as Argentina thrash UAE 5-0 – Football

 

Argentina played their final warm-up match ahead of the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday against the United Arab Emirates. The 2014 finalists were able to sharpen their goal-scoring skills with a 5-0 victory against the Asians.

In Group C, Argentina is grouped alongside Europeans, Poland, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. The starting lineup had a couple of players who would be in the lineup for the first group-stage game against Saudi Arabia on the 22nd of November.

Manchester City striker Julien Alvarez was flanked by Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi and Juventus’s Angel Di Maria.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was in goal, while Brighton midfielder Alexis McAllister started alongside Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo de Paul.

Marcos Acuna, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, and Juan Foyth made up the back four.

It didn’t take long before Argentina took the lead through Julian Alvarez in the 17th minute, while Angel di Maria followed with a first-half brace before Messi scored a minute before the break.

After a flurry of substitutions, Joaquin Correa made it 5-0 as Argentina prepares for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The result also meant that Argentina is now unbeaten in 36 consecutive matches, just two shy of Italy’s record. They will break the record if the team goes through the group stage without a loss.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man list for the World Cup.

Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal).

Defenders: Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon).

Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriquez (Real Betis).

Forwards: Lionel Messi (PSG), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan),  Paulo Dybala (Roma), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla)

Daniel Ademiju Idowu