NEWS

Croatia Destroy Argentina 3-0, Messi's World Cup Dream Looks More Like A Nightmare Now

Lionel Messi's World Cup dream was left hanging by a string as Croatia fueled into the last 16 with a 3-0 defeat of Argentina here Thursday. Second-half objectives from Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic fixed a merited triumph as a poor Argentina were left on the precarious edge of an embarrassing first round exit.

The Group D overcome implies Argentina have only one point from two diversions, which means they will likely need to beat Nigeria in their last amusement and expectation different outcomes go their approach to stay away from end.

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The outcome left Argentinian fans in tears inside the Nizhny Novgorod stadium, while Diego Maradona viewed from the stands in dazed mistrust.

Croatia led the pack after a ghastly bungle by Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero in the 53rd moment, the plug chipping a freedom straight to Rebic who lashed home a deafening volley.

Genuine Madrid star Modric at that point delivered a charging 80th-minute objective before Messi's Barcelona colleague Rakitic finished the scoring after Croatia cut separated Argentina's hapless guard in damage time.

The annihilation leaves the Argentinians confronting a disgraceful rehash of their 2002 crusade when they additionally went out at the gathering stage in the wake of being tipped as conceivable World Cup victors.

All the consideration after the 3-0 thrashing will center around Argentina and Messi yet it was likewise the aftereffect of a fine execution by Croatia.

lionel messi

An inquisitively dormant and deadened Argentine show was topped off by Caballero's mix-up when he some way or another figured out how to chip the ball only a couple of yards to Croatia's Rebic, following a Gabriel Mercado backpass.

Rebic volleyed home easily yet veteran Caballero will have bad dreams for whatever is left of his days at his misstep - liable to include in any rundown of most exceedingly terrible goalkeeping goofs for quite a while.

Also, all through everything Messi, seemingly the world's best player, remained a fringe and to a great extent awkward figure, quickly glimmering to life on excessively few events. The 30-year-old's fantasy of winning the World Cup presently look remote.

lionel messi

With all the pre-coordinate consideration on Messi it was his Real Madrid partner Luka Modric who gave the amusement's actual flashes of virtuoso. The Croatian was the one player to discover space and time in a wounding experience and it was his snapshot of enchantment in the second half which settled the experience.

Lifting the roll together somewhere in the range of 25 yards outside the Argentina region, Modric had the choice of no less than two passes however awaited his opportunity before planting a phenomenal shot past a hapless Caballero.

Rakitic included a third when the diversion was up for Argentina. They had just undermined quickly before then to even out with Meza and Messi nearly scrambling in an objective in the 64th moment.

Past that Argentina looked to a great extent dumbfounded, and progressively baffled by Croatia.

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They could have led the pack in the main half yet Enzo Perez missed essentially an open objective from only 12 yards in the 30th moment. It was to be Argentina's solitary shot of the half - and their most obvious opportunity all night.

Croatia went when Mario Mandzukic headed mysteriously wide in the 33rd moment from only three yards.