FIFA World Cup 2022: Mac Allister & Julian Alvarez scores, Argentina claim 2-0 win over Poland, Player Ratings ..

Lionel Messi missed a penalty but Argentina claimed top spot in Group C with a 2-0 win over Poland, who also snitched into the knock out stage on goal difference ahead of Mexico on a night of high drama..

Previously -- Early shocked the world when they fell to a defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening Fixtures, but bounced back to earn an eventually comfortable 2-0 win against Mexico.

One Win in hand, Poland, who overcame a matchday one goalless stutter against Mexico to see off Saudi Arabia and take an early lead in Group C.

A second-place result would have placed Argentina against France in the round of 16, but goals from Alexis-Mac-Allister (46) and Julian-Alvarez (67), scored after Wojciech-Szczesny had saved a controversial Messi penalty, gave Argentina a well-deserved victory and sent them up to face Australia.

Czeslaw-team Michniewicz's was sensationally poised to progress on fair play points before Saudi Arabia's stoppage-time goal in their 2-1 loss to Mexico pushed the Poles through on goal difference.

Poland's qualification remained in the balance right up to the very end.

Poland knew that if either Argentina or Mexico scored in the final game of their group, they would be eliminated from the competition.

To maintain the deficit at two goals, Jakub-Kiwior had to clear the goal line in stoppage time.

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World Cup 2022 Fantasy football: Argentina vs Poland, Player Ratings.

Argentina: Martinez 6, Romero 6, Otamendi 6, Molina 7, De Paul 6, Acuna 7, Mac Allister 8, Fernandez 7, Di Maria 6, Alvarez 7, Messi 9*..

subs: Parades 6, Tagliafico 6, Pezzella 5, Lautaro Martinez 5, Almada N/A

Poland: Szczesny 8, Glik 5, Kiwior 6, Cash 6, Bereszynski 5, Krychowiak 5, Zielinski 5, Bielik 5, Frankowski 4, Swiderski 4, Lewandowski 5..

subs: Kaminski 5, Skoras 5, Szymanski 5, Jedrzejczyk 5, Piatek N/A

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - LIONEL MESSI (ARGENTINA) OFFICIAL --- But awarded To Alexis-Mac-Allister POTM Award.

Argentina's dominance in World Cup - Opta Key stats.

Lionel Messi has missed two of his three penalty kicks at the World Cup (excluding penalty shootouts), equalling the most by a player since at least 1966 (Asamoah Gyan, two missed out of four).

Argentina completed 800 passes and had a pass completion rate of 92 per cent in this match - both of which were their highest in a World Cup game on record (since 1966).

Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez both scored their first goals at the World Cup, with only Brazil (83) and Germany (77) now having more different scorers in the competition than Argentina (62, excluding own goals).

Poland's Wojciech Szczesny became just the third goalkeeper on record (since 1966) to save two penalties in a single World Cup tournament (excluding shootouts), after Brad Friedel in 2002 and Jan Tomaszewski in 1974.

Lionel Messi made his 22nd appearance at the World Cup in this game, which saw him overtake Diego Maradona (21) to become the player with the outright most appearances in the tournament for Argentina.

Despite their defeat in this game, Poland qualified from the group stage of a World Cup tournament for the first time since 1986. They had failed to do so in each of their previous three appearances at the tournament prior to this year (2002, 2006 and 2018).

Argentina have qualified from the group stage at the World Cup for the fifth consecutive tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022), now they progressed to last 16 for the 13th time in their last 14 World Cup appearances.