Lionel Messi once again showed his class on the international stage as he led Argentina to a comfortable 3-0 win over Australia in a friendly match on Friday.
Messi scored two goals and created another as Argentina cruised to victory in front of a sell-out crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Barcelona star was in scintillating form, and his performance will have done his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or no harm.
Here are the player ratings for Argentina:
- Lionel Messi (10/10): Messi was simply unplayable on Friday. He scored two goals and created another, and he was a constant menace to the Australian defense.
- Lautaro Martinez (8/10): Martinez scored Argentina’s first goal, and he was a constant threat in the box.
- Angel Di Maria (7/10): Di Maria was a lively presence on the right wing, and he created several chances for his teammates.
- Alejandro Garnacho (7/10): Garnacho made his senior Argentina debut, and he showed some flashes of his talent.
- Rodrigo De Paul (7/10): De Paul was a solid presence in midfield, and he helped to control the game.
- Leandro Paredes (6/10): Paredes was not as effective as he has been in recent matches, but he still put in a solid shift.
- Nicolás Tagliafico (6/10): Tagliafico was solid defensively, but he did not offer much going forward.
- Cristian Romero (6/10): Romero was solid at the back, but he was caught out of position on a few occasions.
- Lisandro Martínez (6/10): Martínez was solid at the back, and he made a few important tackles.
- Emiliano Martínez (6/10): Martínez made a few good saves, but he was not really tested by the Australian attack.
Argentina will now face Saudi Arabia in another friendly match on Tuesday.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the match:
- Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world.
- Argentina are one of the favorites to win the World Cup in Qatar.
- Alejandro Garnacho is a talented young player with a bright future ahead of him.
