We round up the key Fantasy talking points from Saturday’s two fixtures in our Scout Notes summary.
The graphics and numbers in this article are from our Premium Members Area, which now includes all Opta player and team data from every World Cup game.
ARGENTINA 2-1 AUSTRALIA
- Goals: Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez | Enzo Fernandez (own goal)
- Assists: Nicolas Otamendi | Craig Goodwin
To the delight of FIFA Fantasy managers and captainers, Lionel Messi ($10.5m) provided a goal and some mesmerising moments as Argentina survived a nervy finale to reach the quarter-finals.
Despite their opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, the South Americans ended Group C with the tournament’s best defence in terms of conceding goal attempts and shots on target. Combine this with Australia keeping clean sheets in their previous two matches and it was no surprise to see a turgid first half with only two attempts registered.
Yet it wasn’t 0-0 at the break, thanks to Messi. His free-kick was cleared but soon came back to him, where interplay with team-mates led to centre-back Nicolas Otamendi ($5.0m) touching the ball into Messi’s path for a casual placing into the bottom corner.
It was only fitting that, in the 1,000th match of his career, Messi finally scored his first goal in a World Cup knockout match.
Early in the second half, defender Lisandro Martinez ($6.0m) came on for Papu Gomez ($6.5m) to accommodate a formation change. Minutes later, another Manchester-based talent pounced on Mathew Ryan‘s ($4.5m) howler to make it 2-0.
Julian Alvarez ($6.5m) started the tournament behind Lautaro Martinez in the pecking order but has scored in consecutive games. Goalkeeper Ryan threw the ball out, received it back but was blindsided by Alvarez as he snuck around and tapped it in.
Soon after, the crowd gasped at some Messi magic, running through several players but eventually being challenged in the penalty area. Argentina were coasting, with highly-owed assets like Otamendi and Emiliano Martinez ($5.5m) set to deliver a clean sheet to managers.
Then, out of nowhere, a long-range shot from substitute Craig Goodwin ($4.5m) took a huge deflection off Enzo Fernandez ($6.0m) and into the net. An own goal was eventually given by the Fantasy site, meaning the already-replaced Marcos Acuna ($4.5m) was the only Saturday defender to collect clean sheet points.
Suddenly Australia had belief and left-back Aziz Behich ($4.5m) almost scored an all-time classic goal by waltzing through numerous players, until Lisandro Martinez’s brilliant block prevented a seemingly on-target shot.
Messi then took matters into his own hands and put on chance after chance for team-mates to wrap things up. Lautaro Martinez somehow missed the target, whilst Fernandez similarly had it put on a plate for him. Seconds later, Messi’s curler almost made it three.
The efforts of Australia will make their nation so proud and they had a golden opportunity in the last seconds of stoppage time. The ball fell to 18-year-old Garang Kuol ($4.5m) – set to join Newcastle United in January – whose shot was smothered by Emiliano Martinez, playing with the Argentine flag dyed into his hair.
Now La Albiceleste will face the Netherlands in Friday’s quarter-final, just like in 1998. You’d think that Alvarez has likely secured his place in the starting XI over Inter Milan’s Martinez and the only possible change would reintroduce Angel Di Maria ($8.5m) into the line-up. A knock sustained in Matchday 3 limited him to bench duties on this occasion.
ALVAREZ OR LAUTARO MARTINEZ?
Argentina XI (4-3-3): E Martínez; Molina (Montiel 80), Romero, Otamendi, Acuña (Tagliafico 71); De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister (Palacios 80); Messi, Alvarez (Lautaro Martinez 71), Papu Gomez (Lisandro Martinez 50)
Australia XI (4-4-2): Ryan; Degenek (Karacic 72), Rowles, Souttar, Behich; Leckie (Kuol 72), Mooy, Irvine, Baccus (Hrustic 58); Duke (MacLaren 72), McGree (Goodwin 58)
NETHERLANDS 3-1 UNITED STATES
- Goals: Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, Denzel Dumfries | Haji Wright
- Assists: Denzel Dumfries (x2), Daley Blind | Christian Pulisic
A Denzel Dumfries ($6.0m) masterclass ensured that the Netherlands emerged victorious in this World Cup’s first knockout match. FIFA Fantasy’s fifth most-owned player finally delivered an attacking return, then two more, to end on 14 points.
He assisted the opening goal after ten minutes, rounding off a fine Dutch move that involved 20 passes. Dumfries was advanced down the right flank and pulled the ball back for Memphis Depay ($8.5m) to slot home, repeating the trick on the verge of half-time for Daley Blind’s ($5.5m) right-footed strike.
The 2-0 lead was cleverly executed, with the Netherlands allowing this young, energetic USA side to tire themselves out of attacking ideas before picking the right moments to be clinical at the other end.
Yet things changed after half-time. A corner led to Tim Ream ($4.5m) putting the ball past goalkeeper Andries Noppert ($4.5m) but not beyond covering defenders. Then, an error let substitute Haji Wright ($5.0m) take the ball around Noppert but it was Dumfries – who else? – there to clear the ball off the line.
It was another corner that eventually wiped out clean sheets for Dumfries, Noppert and Virgil van Dijk ($6.0m). The ball came back to Christian Pulisic ($7.5m), who set up a freakish near-post Wright flick that looped inside the far corner.
However, just as hope and momentum began to build, the game was put to bed in the 81st minute. Blind’s perfect cross fell to the unmarked Dumfries’ left-foot volley, found in an almost-criminal amount of space.
The Inter Milan wing-back was an attacking force and it could easily have been a bigger haul. His low cross found Depay but a wonderful point-blank save from Matt Turner ($4.5m) denied a third assist. Dumfries was even given the ball inside the penalty area and, before a shot was made, he was fouled without a penalty being given.
Owners of Cody Gakpo ($7.0m) were left disappointed, as the young forward was unable to continue his streak of scoring in every match. He set up a Depay chance but it brought another Turner save, as the American stopper later pulled off a superb double-stop from both a long-range strike and a diving Depay header.
GAKPO’S CREATIVITY
Elsewhere, Frenkie de Jong ($8.5m) received a yellow card, Davy Klaassen ($6.0m) was removed at half-time and things could’ve been so different had Pulisic scored a big chance in the third minute. He recovered from Matchday 3’s pelvic injury to start here and was onside for a close-range shot, only to see it blocked by Noppert’s leg.
Louis van Gaal named an unchanged starting XI here, so predicting his quarter-final team shouldn’t be too difficult. Perhaps Klaassen makes way for Steven Bergwijn ($7.0m) but everything else looks stable.
The Dutch are unbeaten in 19 matches and it won’t be an easy task for Argentina.
Netherlands XI (3-4-1-2): Noppert; Timber, van Dijk, Ake (de Ligt 90); Dumfries, de Roon (Bergwijn 46), de Jong, Blind; Klaassen (Koopmeiners 46); Gakpo (Weghorst 90), Depay (Simons 83)
United States XI (4-3-3): Turner; Dest (Yedlin 75), Zimmerman, Ream, Robinson (Morris 90); McKennie (H Wright 67), Adams, Musah; Weah (Aaronson 67), Ferreira (Reyna 46), Pulisic
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