Argentina returned to winning ways with a narrow 1–0 triumph over Peru in 2026 World Cup Qualifying action following its shocking 2–1 defeat to Paraguay.
Lionel Scaloni's team attempted to break down the Peru low block with crosses into the box and chipped passes over the backline. It didn't work well in the first half as Argentina was stifled with Julian Álvarez's shot smacking the post the only genuine chance the hosts had.
Just under 10 minutes into the second half, Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with a brilliant volleyed strike that got the fans off their seats at La Bombonera. The legendary Lionel Messi created the goal by dribbling through the Peru defense before sending in a cross for Martínez to latch onto. The goal marked Messi's 58th international assist, which is tied for the most alongside United States legend Landon Donovan.
With the victory, Argentina is now on 25 points from 12 matches in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying table. La Albiceleste will take the pitch again in March 2025 for more World Cup Qualifying action against Uruguay and Brazil.
The Final Pass Was Missing from Argentina
The hosts did well to get into good positions in the final third but the final pass was often a let down, regardless of who was on the ball.
Argentina resorted to lofted through balls and crosses into the box that were snuffed out by the Peru defense. Typically, this Argentina side would play the passes first-time but that wasn't the case as Scaloni's team wasn't as precise in the final third.
A bit of individual brilliance from Messi helped Argentina break through early in the second half, but the reigning World Cup champions weren't as sharp as they can be.
The Argentine Defense Stood Tall Without Two Regular Starters
Going into the match, Scaloni knew he would be without Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez due to respective foot and hip injuries. Romero and Martínez are arguably Argentina's best center backs while Nicolás Otamendi filling in from time to time for Martínez.
Even without his two best defenders, Argentina managed to limit Peru's chances all around. Peru aimed to threaten the Argentina defense via set pieces with their tall, physical defenders, but La Albiceleste managed to keep them out of goal with solid showings from Otamendi and Leonardo Balerdi.
Lautaro Martínez is in Fine Form for Argentina
In the past, Martínez was often slated for underperforming at the international level and missing big chances on the biggest stages—like the 2022 World Cup. However, the Inter Milan captain has silenced his critics with two goals in three matches for Argentina, locking down the striker position for the foreseeable future.
Martínez's confidence in an Argentina shirt appears to have skyrocketed after scoring the winning goal in the Copa América final vs. Colombia when he came off the bench at Hard Rock Stadium. Scaloni will hope that Martínez can carry over his impressive form into 2025 to help secure Argentina's place at the 2026 World Cup. Martínez is now up to 32 goals in 70 appearances for Argentina since making his debut in March 2018.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lautaro Martinez Volley Lifts Argentina: Takeaways From La Albiceleste's Narrow Win Over Peru.
