Argentina staged a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to avoid a stunning exit at the hands of Egypt and prolong Lionel Messi's World Cup career with a 3-2 win to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
reach the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The holders looked down and out when goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko, either side of Messi having a penalty saved, put the Pharaohs in sight of a historic victory in Atlanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Cristian Romero's header sparked the comeback as Argentina struck three times in the final 11 minutes plus stoppage time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Messi smashed home the equaliser to score for a ninth consecutive World Cup game and retake the lead for the Golden Boot with eight this tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with a superb header two minutes into stoppage time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end, Messi shed tears of joy as he embraced his teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was almost too choked up to speak afterwards, saying: \"I'm really emotional right now. What a group of players, man.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt were left furious after a number of controversial calls went against them, including adisallowed goal early in the second half, and a member of their coaching staff was red-carded in the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
aftermath of the winning goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But despite a second almighty scare against African opposition, Argentina will face either Colombia orSwitzerland in the last eight on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scaloni attempted to refresh a side that looked dead on their feet in the closing stages of a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the last 32 on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nicolas Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez came in from the team that started in Miami, but Argentina got off to another slow start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marwan Attia's deep cross to the back post was powered home by Yasser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argentina had the chance to level five minutes later when Tagliafico was wiped out by Haissem Hassan inside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there was another chapter to Messi's misery from the penalty spot at World Cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The eight-time Ballon d'Or's strike was tentative and Mostafa Shobeir flew to his left to save, meaning Messi has now missed four of his eight non-shootout penalties at World Cups. He also became<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the first player to miss two in a single tournament, having also failed to hit the target against Austria in the group stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The penalty save was just the start of Shobeir's inspired afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexis Mac Allster's powerful header from point-blank range was next to be parried by the Al Ahly stopper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shobeir then produced one of the saves of the tournament to prevent Alvarez's shot finding the bottom corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt thought they had doubled their lead on the hour mark after a brilliant counter-attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mohamed Salah played in Mostafa Ziko, who dinked the ball perfectly over the onrushing Emi Martinez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Egyptian celebrations were cut short by a hugely controversial VAR intervention for a foul on Lisandro Martinez, just outside the Egypt box, at the start of the build-up to the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision finally fired up the majority Argentine crowd, but they were silenced once more moments later by another blistering Egyptian break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Salah again led the charge before feeding Hassan and his cross was swept in by Zico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argentina looked like a beaten side with Messi among those who head was bowed during the second-half drinks break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet Romero's header -- that Shoubir just failed to keep out -- sparked a remarkable revival as the defending champions hauled themselves off the canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moments later a dazzling run by Messi teed up Lautaro Martinez, who headed just wide and Messi was to have his moment of redemption seven minutes from time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gonzalo Montiel fed the ball back for his captain to strike sweetly on the half volley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shoubir again got a touch but couldn't get it out as the ball cannonned in off the bar for Messi's 21st World Cup goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Fernandez's bullet header from Lautaro Martinez's cross completed the fightback and Argentina's relief was on full display after the final whistle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Argentina staged a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to avoid a stunning exit at the hands of Egypt and prolong Lionel Messi's World Cup career with a 3-2 win to reach the quarter-finals. The holders looked down and out when goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko, either side of Messi having a penalty saved, put […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":35286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,93,95],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-35285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangladesh","category-nationwide","category-sports","tag-47"],"yoast_head":"\n