Argentina 2–0 Austria: Messi Misses a Penalty, Then Wins It Twice Over

Lionel Messi endured an uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot inside the opening ten minutes, then made sure it would not matter, scoring twice as Argentina eased past a stubborn Austria 2–0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington to close in on the Round of 32.

The reigning champions had the chance to take an early lead when they won a ninth-minute penalty, but Messi's effort was kept out — a rare blemish from the man who has carried Argentina to the summit of the world game, and a moment that briefly lifted Austrian hopes of a famous upset. For a fleeting instant, the script looked like it might be rewritten.

Messi Makes Amends

Any nerves were settled on 38 minutes. Messi, inevitably, was the man to do it, finishing Facundo Medina's pass to give Argentina a deserved half-time lead and restore the natural order. It was the response of a champion, and of a player utterly unburdened by the earlier miss.

Austria dug in after the break, defended with organisation and limited the openings, determined to keep themselves in a game that could yet have turned on a single moment. But they could not find a way back, and Messi had the final word in the 90th minute, rounding off the win with his second of the night and his side's most clinical moment.

The Champions March On

This was not Argentina at their irresistible best, but it was the performance of a team that knows how to win — patient, ruthless when it mattered, and led by a captain who, even in what is surely his final World Cup, remains the difference between sides. Title holders rarely have it easy; finding ways to win on quieter nights is precisely how they go deep.

Group J Picture

Victory makes it a perfect six points from two matches for Argentina, who sit top of Group J and on the brink of the Round of 32. Austria, beaten for the first time, drop to three points and will need a result in their final group game to be sure of progressing.

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