Argentina edge past the Netherlands on penalties in World Cup thriller to reach semi-finals

Argentina secured a dramatic victory in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Lionel Messi’s men beat the Netherlands 4-3 on penalties to secure their second semi-final berth at the tournament since 1990. It was a game of unmissable drama at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Friday night, with four goals, 17 bookings, a penalty shootout, and one incredible comeback.

The Copa America champions raced away to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Nanuel Molina and Lionel Messi before seeing that advantage evaporate in the final ten minutes of regulation time thanks to an incredible brace from substitute Wout Weghorst for the Dutch.

Argentina pressed forward in extra time but couldn’t find a winner, sending the tie to the penalty spot, where Emiliano Martinez proved to be the hero. The Argentine goalkeeper saved two spot kick, while Lautaro Martinez scored the winning penalty to send the South American side to their fifth World Cup semi-final.

The game descended into chaos between the two historic footballing nations towards the closing stages, but the first half-hour was a cagey affair, with neither team giving the other an inch. However, Lionel Messi made his mark in the 35th minute to burst the tie open, scurrying past three Dutch defenders before laying a superb assist for Nanuel Molina, who found the back of the net to give Argentina a first-half lead.

Lionel Messi went close after the break from a free-kick before Argentina were handed a spot kick in the 73rd minute due to a clumsy foul from Denzel Dumfries on Marcos Acuna. Having missed his previous spot-kick against Poland, Messi made no mistake from the spot to put the South Americans 1-0 in front, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament and tenth at World Cups.

La Albicelestes appeared to be cruising towards a place in the final four, but a late substitution from Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal flipped the script. The 71-year-old introduced towering strikers Wout Weghorst and Luuk de Jong, and Argentina couldn’t cope with the Netherlands’ direct approach. Weghorst pulled one back in the 83rd minute from a Steven Berghuis cross before levelling the scores from an incredibly well-worked free-kick routine in the last minute of injury time.

Despite the late turnaround, Argentina dominated the 30 minutes of extra time, forcing goalkeeper Andries Noppert into some crucial interventions and also hitting the post in the final seconds. In the shootout, Emiliano Martinez produced two exceptional saves against Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, while Messi, Paredes, Montiel, and Lautaro Martinez found the back of the net for the South Americans to set up a semi-final clash against Croatia on Tuesday.