There was an explosion of celebration from Buenos Aires to Bangladesh as Argentina kept their FIFA World Cup dream alive with a dramatic 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring with a brilliant curling strike that beat Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, before Lautaro Martinez added another in extra time to seal Argentina’s place in a highly anticipated semi-final clash against England.
Despite the memorable win, concerns remain over Argentina’s overall performance. England manager Thomas Tuchel remarked that Argentina were “lucky to have won” against Switzerland, suggesting the South American side escaped with the victory. While the result keeps Argentina’s title hopes alive, questions continue to surround their consistency as they prepare for one of the tournament’s biggest matches.
Argentina took an early lead in the 10th minute through an Alexis Mac Allister header from a Lionel Messi corner, appearing to be in control during the opening stages. However, the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum as Switzerland dominated midfield and pushed Argentina’s defense onto the back foot.
The pressure paid off in the 67th minute when winger Dan Ndoye scored a deserved equaliser following a well-worked team move, leaving Argentina’s supporters increasingly anxious. Unlike their previous victories over Cabo Verde and Egypt, where they remained the stronger side despite late goals, Argentina struggled for large parts of the second half in Dallas, chasing the game against a disciplined and well-organised Swiss team before eventually securing victory in extra time.
It looked as though Switzerland had completed a remarkable comeback in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo found the back of the net. However, the celebrations were short-lived after VAR reviewed the incident and ruled that Embolo had fouled Leandro Paredes while attempting to win back possession. The decision wiped out the goal and kept the scores level.
The ruling disappointed the Swiss players and immediately became a talking point among supporters. Despite the frustration, the officials stood by the VAR review, concluding that the foul in the build-up was sufficient to disallow the goal under the Laws of the Game.
From that moment, the contest changed dramatically. Switzerland shifted their focus to defending, sitting deep with compact defensive lines for the remainder of normal time. Argentina controlled possession but struggled to convert their dominance into clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Argentina’s attacking play lacked its usual sharpness. The passing was often slow, crosses rarely troubled the Swiss defence, and even Lionel Messi was unable to dictate the game in his trademark fashion. Switzerland’s organised backline limited the world champions to only a handful of meaningful chances.
When the match entered extra time, Argentina’s superior quality finally made the difference. Julian Alvarez produced a clinical finish to restore his side’s lead before Lautaro Martinez sealed the victory with another goal, sending Argentina into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Switzerland.
Attention now turns to a blockbuster showdown with England, a fixture carrying enormous history and significance. Argentina will hope the hard-fought victory provides momentum, while England will be determined to halt the defending champions’ march toward another World Cup title.
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