Messi assesses Argentina's victory over Cape Verde: "Very tough game"

Argentina beat Cape Verde in extra time 3-2, in a dramatic game for the World Cup this Friday (3). Messi, voted man of the match, assessed the difficulties suffered by the current champions after the match.

"We knew it would be a very tough game. It's no coincidence that this team [Cape Verde] didn't lose to Spain and Uruguay", began the Argentine striker. He highlighted the balance of the World Cup, with all the games being very complicated and generating great wear and tear.

Messi detailed that Argentina suffered after scoring the first goal. "We did the most difficult thing, which was getting the first goal and we thought that from then on we would find our game and be calmer, but it was exactly the opposite", he explained.

Drama and classification in extra time
The Albiceleste secured a 3-2 victory in extra time, eliminating Cape Verde and ensuring qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup. Messi scored the first goal for the 'Scaloneta', while Lisandro Martínez contributed an assist.

The winning goal, however, came from the feet of defender Cuti Romero, who decided the match. Lionel Scaloni's team faced a brave and very diligent Cape Verde team, dispelling the expectation of an easy game.

On the Argentine side, the warning is about the difficulty of imposing their game and the performance in the second half, when they conceded the draw. The penalty shootout was avoided due to the brilliance of the defenders in extra time.

Next opponent: Egypt
Argentina will face Egypt in the round of 16 of the World Cup. The clash is scheduled for next Tuesday (7), at 1 pm (Brasília time), at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, in the United States.

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Source: CNN