World Cup Qualifiers: Argentina beat Brazil by a single goal

Rio de Janeiro: Argentina, the world champion, defeated Brazil in the World Cup qualifying match of the Latin American powers. Lionel Messi and his team won by a one-sided goal in a bloody match where fans of both sides clashed in the gallery. Nicolas Otamendi scored the winning goal in the second half in a game where the heat of the conflict in the gallery spread to the field. This is the first time Brazil has bowed to Argentina in a World Cup qualifier on home soil.

There were even concerns that the match would go ahead at one point due to the hand-wringing of the fans and the lathicharge by the police at the famous Maracana Stadium. The clash was during the singing of the national anthem. Many of the Argentina fans were injured when they were lathicharged by the police. This prompted Messi and his team to leave the field. After the persuasive discussions, Argentina came to the field and the match started half an hour late.

The absence of prominent players who were in the grip of injury cast a shadow on the home side. The lack of confidence after not seeing a win in the last three matches also made the Canaries weak. A procession of fouls was seen throughout the match. Both teams competed in sportingly tackling their opponents.

Argentina capitalized on the opportunity after a lackluster first half to claim the win and full point. The winning goal in the 63rd minute turned the tide of the game. Loscelo’s ball from the corner to the post rose above two Brazilian players and Otamendi’s stunning header thwarted goalkeeper Alisson Backer’s full-length dive into the net.

Jolinton was sent off in the 81st minute while pulling out all the stops and attacking for a draw, a setback for Brazil. A foul against De Paul led to the dismissal of Jolinton, who was substituted only in the 72nd minute. A video of De Paul losing control of the ball by grabbing Jolinton’s hand while running has also emerged. After completing the remaining nine minutes of regular time and six minutes of extra time, Lionel Scoloni and his team left the field with a win, and the noise of the Argentina fans rang out in the Maracana.