Lionel Messi came off the bench against Mauritania in a decision that raised questions about the star’s fitness management. Following a disappointing performance in the narrow 2-1 win last Friday, head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that the Argentine icon will start the upcoming friendly against Zambia.
At Monday’s press conference, Scaloni addressed the media in the aftermath of the Mauritania friendly, with his focus already shifting to the clash against Zambia. When asked specifically about Messi, the Albiceleste head coach confirmed that the Inter Miami star will be in the starting lineup.
Scaloni was also asked about his thinking behind the second-half substitutions, offering some clarity on his reasoning: “Regarding the changes, I wanted to give Julian (Alvarez) a bit of a rest. Nico González was coming off an injury as well, so we felt it was best to rest him and give an opportunity to other boys.
“Our idea is always to play with two forwards. It wasn’t necessarily something we wanted to do (the substitutions), but that was the plan,” Scaloni added. Messi entered the game in the second half in place of Nico Paz, alongside Rodrigo De Paul, who replaced Nico Gonzalez, and Franco Mastantuono, who came on for Julian Alvarez. The No. 10 struggled to make an impact in a second half in which Argentina failed to register a single shot on target.
Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Argentina now turn their attention to Tuesday’s clash against Zambia, ranked 91st by FIFA, once again at the Bombonera on March 31. With the Mauritania result leaving a sour taste among fans, Scaloni is ready to go all-out against Zambia, with Messi leading the charge from the start.
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Scaloni looks to raise the bar after Mauritania performance
Even without Messi in the starting lineup, Scaloni fielded a team close to his preferred XI against Mauritania, with Marcos Senesi stepping in for the injured Lisandro Martinez and Nico Paz taking on a creative role in the system. The first half was encouraging, with Argentina dominating possession and goals from Enzo Fernandez in the 17th minute and Paz in the 32nd giving the Albiceleste a comfortable cushion.
The second half, however, was a different story, with Argentina’s level dropping off sharply. Emiliano Martinez was called into action three times as Mauritania registered eight shots to Argentina’s one, which was Messi’s blocked attempt. A Lefort goal in the 90th-plus minute made it 2-1 and set up a nervy finish, with the performance drawing widespread criticism and prompting even Martinez himself to offer a self-assessment.
When asked how the players responded to the display, Scaloni said: “It’s a good sign that they believe the match wasn’t good. It’s a sign that the team always competes and that, whether they play well or poorly, they always give the impression of being a cohesive unit—and that was what we failed to do the other day. Besides playing well, these players are intelligent. When that doesn’t happen, they realize it.“
The Argentina boss made clear his hope that the Mauritania display was an isolated episode rather than a cause for deeper concern. “From there, you correct things and move on to a next match that we believe is a good opportunity to get back to where we belong and to evaluate, for the sake of the fans, if it was truly just one match or a symptom of the moment. We hope it was just that one game and that the team shows the face we all know,” he concluded.
