"It was an eventful first half as Messi missed two golden opportunities from close range either side of Zito Luvumbo's powerful strike, which went straight at Geronimo Rulli in the Argentina goal. But just two minutes before the break, Martinez managed to find the back of the net as he snuck the ball between the legs of Angola goalkeeper Hugo Marques after a perfectly weighted pass from Messi."
"Angola showed plenty of threat in the second half, with Luvumbo once again at the heart of things. He first struck the ball at Rulli again after a sweeping counter-attack from the hosts before failing to hit the target from To Caneiro's cross shortly after the hour mark. And Angola were made to pay for their wastefulness by Messi, who managed to find the bottom-right corner with an emphatic finish after being picked out with a first-time pass by Martinez."
"Data Debrief: Messi puts on a show to close out the year Although Angola provided some nervy moments for Lionel Scaloni's side, it was a routine victory in the end for Argentina. They created 1.5 expected goals (xG) from eight shots to Angola's 0.49 from seven attempts. And 1.26 of Argentina's xG came from Messi, who led the way for his side in shots (five), touches in the box (seven) and final third entries (10)."
Argentina beat Angola 2-0 in Luanda with goals from Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi. Messi assisted Martinez two minutes before halftime with a perfectly weighted pass that Martinez tucked between the goalkeeper's legs. Angola created several chances, with Zito Luvumbo testing Geronimo Rulli and driving attacks, but failed to convert key opportunities. Messi sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a bottom-right finish after a first-time pass from Martinez. Argentina produced 1.5 expected goals from eight shots, with Messi contributing 1.26 xG and leading shots, touches in the box and final-third entries.
Read at Soccer News
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