Emotions after the draw with Venezuela

Messi played the full 90 minutes, fired 2 shots, completed 2/3 dribbles, won 5/7 duels, and created 1 good chance. He was rated 7.2 points by SofaScore . However, the 37-year-old was disappointed because the pitch was soggy due to heavy rain before the match, which affected the Argentina team's play. This was part of the reason why Albiceleste left with only 1 point.

Returning to the Argentina team for the first time since the Copa America, Messi played the full 90 minutes.

Due to heavy rain before the match, the official match time was delayed by nearly 30 minutes. With Messi's return, coach Scaloni sent Julian Alvarez to play from the start along with Thiago Almada, while striker Lautaro Martinez only entered the field in the second half near the end of the match.

Despite the unfavorable weather and pitch conditions, Argentina quickly took the lead and opened the score 1-0 in the 13th minute after Messi's free kick, which goalkeeper Rafael Romo struggled to clear. Thanks to that, defender Otamendi took advantage of the opportunity to score from close range.

After conceding the goal, the Venezuelan team, with the great support from the home crowd that packed the Estadio Monumental, put on fierce pressure. In particular, striker Salomon Rondon was the spearhead that always caused trouble for the Argentine team's defense.

Julian Alvarez missed many scoring opportunities for the Argentina team.

Soggy pitch affects the match

However, Messi and his teammates had to blame themselves, as they wasted many chances to increase the score in the second half to kill the match. In particular, Messi and Julian Alvarez both had chances to score, but both missed.

In the middle of the second half, the Venezuela team found an equalizer 1-1 through Salomon Rondon in the 65th minute after a set piece situation.

The draw means Argentina have yet to find a win after losing 1-2 to Colombia in September. However, Albiceleste still maintain their top position in the South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup with 19 points after 9 matches. Colombia (lost 0-1 to Bolivia) is in second place with 16 points.

The Argentina team has yet to find victory again.

After the match, Messi confided: "I have been away from the pitch for a long time. So I am very happy to be back in the Argentina team. Now we will return to our home stadium and play in front of our fans at home.

The wait to return to the pitch was quite long, because I needed time to recover from the injury, missing the team's matches. But I am very happy to be back. I really missed the time playing in Argentina. Now we have a long way to go back, then a few days to rest and prepare for the home match."

In the next match, Argentina will host Bolivia at 7am on October 16 at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/messi-tro-lai-doi-tuyen-argentina-cam-xuc-sau-tran-hoa-venezuela-185241011075427665.htm