Lionel Messi's Argentina beat Nigeria to enter FIFA World Cup 2018 knock-out stage
Lionel Messi admitted to having survived the most nerve-wracking 90 minutes of his career as Marcus Rojo's stunning finish four minutes kept his and Argentina's World Cup hopes alive with a 2-1 win over Nigeria to reach the last 16.
Lionel Messi admitted to having survived the most nerve-wracking 90 minutes of his career as Marcus Rojo's stunning finish four minutes kept his and Argentina's World Cup hopes alive with a 2-1 win over Nigeria to reach the last 16. (Photo | AP)
Messi's first goal of the tournament got the two-time winners off to a perfect start in Saint Petersburg. (Photo | AP)
But Victor Moses's 51st minute penalty had Jorge Sampaoli's men heading for a humiliating group stage exit until Rojo's late intervention. (Photo | AP)
Argentina coach Sampaoli made five changes from the Croatia game, and his plan to use Ever Banega to help free up Messi worked to perfection early on. (Photo | AP)
Higuain just could not flick the ball beyond the onrushing Francis Uzoho from a defence splitting pass before Uzoho then tipped a Messi free-kick onto the post. (Photo | AP)
Rojo had escaped conceding a second Nigerian penalty after a controversial VAR review before he thundered home Gabriel Mercado's cross to send the under-fire Sampaoli running down the sidelines amid wild scenes of celebration. (Photo | AP)
Odion Ighalo missed another glorious chance when he shot too close to Armani and Nigeria were made to pay for their profligacy from the most unlikely source. (Photo | AP)
Rojo's finish sparked delirious scenes of celebration among the tens of thousands of Argentines in the stands. (Photo | AP)
