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Five goals from Messi in Albiceleste's victory over Estonia
This Sunday the match between Argentina and Estonia was held at the El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain. The meeting was part of the friendlies planned as a prelude to the Qatar World Cup and after the 'Finalissima' where the Albicelestes beat the Italian team 0-3 last Wednesday, June 1st.
On this occasion those led by Lionel Scaloni traveled from Bilbao, where they lived, to assume their commitment to the team led by Häberli.
The albiceleste team took the field with some new features in the starting lineup compared to those who played against Italy. This time Francisco Armani was in goal for Emiliano Martínez. Lautaro Martínez and Di María were rested up front. Along with Messi were Álvarez and Joaquín Correa.
In the same way, he rested Guido Rodríguez, Otamendi, Lo Celso and Tagliafico. Several changes to face an Estonian team that would suffer the thrashing of a Messi at a high level that would score the five goals of the game.
The game would start with a fortuitous play in the Estonian area. The goalkeeper Igonen would go out to look for a ball that a defender was covering so that it would go down the last line, but Pezzella would anticipate it and the goalkeeper ends up taking the Argentine ahead and the referee calls a penalty.
At minute 8, Messi scores from eleven steps to open the scoring at El Sadar. From that moment on, the South Americans went on the attack. Messi, again, at 10', fired a shot from the edge of the area that would hit an Estonian center-back and deflected for a corner.
At minute 15, Mac Allister would take a shot from the edge of the box. The shot came out grazing the right corner. Estonia would try to have control of the ball in the next few minutes, but without dangerously reaching the rival area, until at 25', a pass left a European striker in a one-on-one, but Armani neutralized the action.
At minute 37, again Messi had the opportunity for the second goal. He started from the extreme right and from the front he cut and outlined to hit him with his left foot, but his shot comes out touching the far post.
However, at 44' in another Argentine attack, De Paul passes it to Gómez at the edge of the area and he, instead of finishing, passes it to 'the flea' who was left hand in hand with Igonen and takes a shot that he changes it to the long stick. 2-0 partial and with that marker they would go to rest.
Starting the second half, the play of the third goal and Messi's hat-trick would take place. Julián Álvarez passes a ball to Nahuel Molina so that he takes a cross from the right wing. Correa came from the near post, dragging the mark, but the center fell to Messi who took a volley shot that sent it to the back of the net. 3-0 partial.
With this goal, the Argentine star gets his eighth hat-trick with the national team and the fifth in friendly matches, in addition to reaching 84 goals with the albiceleste and equaling Puskas as the fourth highest scorer in the history of football at national team level.
A minute later, De Paul nearly scored fourth. He received a pass from Messi in the area and he took a cross shot that ended up grazing the goalkeeper's long post. At 58', Gómez recovers a ball in three quarters of the field and passes it to Julián Álvarez who had a great chance, but his shot goes very central so that the Estonian goalkeeper saves it without any problems.
Between minutes 61 and 63 both teams make three changes each. Among these changes, Marcos Senesi entered Argentina, central defender of Feyenoord of the Eredivisie of the Netherlands and this time he was debuting with the national team.
In the 70th minute, an action occurred near the Estonian area that caused uncertainty in several players, especially the Europeans. It was a foul on an Argentine player, but the referee gave 'advantage law' and although some players stopped, Messi took the ball and took a shot that would become 4-0. Messi poker!
But the scoreboard would not close like that. In the next play, at minute 76, another Argentine attack took place that produced several shots on goal by the Albicelestes forwards, but Messi took advantage of a rebound to take a low shot that would enter through the center of the goal. 5-0 and five goals from Lionel Messi, who with his almost 35 years had such a participation.
In the last minutes, Dybala and then Messi would each have another chance, but the match would end with that score. The team led by Lionel Scaloni is showing a high level ahead of the World Cup in Qatar and, without a doubt, is becoming one of the clear favorites to win the World Cup.
