Finally, Messi nudges Argentina through to last 16
Maradona crossed his arms over his chest and pointed to the sky.
Lionel Messi had needed just three touches to score but Argentina still took 86 minutes to defeat Nigeria.
Marcos Rojo was the unlikely match-winner, an emphatic finish of which even his captain would have been proud, to ensure Jorge Sampaoli’s disjointed, disorganised and, at times, desperate team are still alive at this World Cup.
But they have Messi. Despite Rojo’s heroics, when Argentina’s substitutes flooded the pitch at the full-time whistle, it was their number 10 they smothered.
When Javier Mascherano wanted to express his gratitude after conceding the penalty that for 35 second-half minutes looked like it might send Nigeria through, it was Messi he hugged.
The 31-year-old, in what may well be his final stab at leading Argentina to a World Cup crown, did his work in the 14th minute.
Ever Banega’s sumptuous pass was chipped into his path. Messi cushioned the ball with his left thigh and without letting it bounce, prodded it into space with his left foot. Six steps later, his right foot pinged the ball past Francis Uzoho and inside the far post.
For the next 20 minutes, he was purring. There was a deft flick behind his leg on the touchline to Banega. There was a defencesplitting pass for Gonzalo Higuain that Uzoho just managed to intercept.
But Argentina lost momentum towards the end of the first half and when Victor Moses slid home a penalty after the frantic Mascherano pulled down Leon Balogun, Messi lost his way too.
SAINTPETERSBURG:Diego