Argentina Hoping Lionel Messi Will Kick-Start World Cup Qualifying Campaign
The first four rounds of World Cup qualifying were not kind to Argentina. With just one win and five points, the Albiceleste started on the back foot in the race to reach Russia 2018.
No need to panic, though. Lionel Messi is back.
Messi, the iconic, free-scoring superstar striker for Barcelona, is set to return to Argentina's lineup after eight months away. His last appearance for his country came in July 2015, before a knee injury sidelined him for much of last fall. Now that he's back, Argentina will be hoping to kick-start their flagging qualification campaign.
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While Barcelona survived—even thrived—in his absence, Argentina toiled. Matchday 1 saw the Albiceleste slip to a surprising 2-0 defeat at home to Ecuador, and a scoreless draw at Paraguay followed five days later.
After playing to a creditable 1-1 stalemate with Brazil, Gerardo Martino's men won by a single goal at Colombia on Matchday 4, with Lucas Biglia's first-half strike enough to claim all three points.
One doesn't have to be an expert in advanced statistics to recognize a pattern. With just two goals scored in four qualifiers, Argentina are struggling in the attacking third.
Enter Messi, who's enjoying a typically stellar season at Barcelona. Despite missing significant time with that knee injury, the 28-year-old has tallied 37 goals in 38 games in all competitions for the Blaugrana. In addition, he's dished out 18 assists, making him directly responsible for 55 goals in one way or another (stats via TransferMarkt.com).
For Argentina, then, relief comes in flea-sized doses.
"It's a relief that Leo is with us," Sergio Aguero told Ole (h/t beIN Sports). "It's always great to play with him. We consider him a crucial player."
After so many years of Messi weaving his magic, that much is obvious. But if you need a reminder, consider La Pulga's recent form. In his last five Liga matches, Messi has notched seven goals and four assists. And in the UEFA Champions League, he netted three times over two legs against Arsenal in the round of 16, helping Barca knock out the Gunners comfortably on aggregate.
That kind of production is a big reason—though Uruguay's Luis Suarez and Brazil's Neymar are two others—why Barcelona are in position to replicate their three-trophy haul from last season. At international level, though, the situation is quite different for Messi.
After losing to Chile on penalties in last year's Copa America final, Argentina have struggled. Points and goals are at a premium, and Messi will have to be at his best to put the Albiceleste back in position to qualify.
Aguero added: "It's a tough situation because Argentina is accustomed to being at the top, but each time it's more difficult because there are many countries that are improving."
Clearly. Ecuador are the surprise leaders atop the CONMEBOL table with a 100 percent record through four matches. Traditional powers like Argentina and Colombia, meanwhile, are mired in the bottom half.
The top four teams qualify automatically, with the fifth-placed team advancing to an inter-confederation play-off to determine another berth. As it stands, just four points separate fifth place from ninth.
Fortunately for Argentina, CONMEBOL qualifying is a marathon rather than a sprint. Fully 14 matches remain on the fixture list, meaning Martino's men have plenty of time to right the ship.
The first item on the agenda is Thursday night's match in Santiago, where hosts Chile will be hoping to kick-start their own campaign. La Roja are currently fifth, five points off the top of the table, and a win over a big-name opponent like Argentina would give new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi a solid foundation on which to build his tenure.
Argentina, meanwhile, will be aiming for a breakout offensive performance with Messi back in the lineup. Although the team's production has been poor lately, the roster hardly lacks for talent. In addition to Messi and Aguero, Martino has at his disposal star attackers like Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain, Paris Saint-Germain's Angel Di Maria and Juventus' Paulo Dybala.
But it's Messi's presence that will be most critical. With a single touch, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner can change any game at any moment. Now, Argentina will be hoping he'll show it.
