FIFA World Cup 2022, Quarter Finals: Argentina defeat Netherlands in penalty shootout, stay alive in title race

Argentina and Netherlands faced off against each other in the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar and as one could expect, it turned out to be a thriller of a game, with the La Albicelestes clinching the first half. To add more to the first half, it was a hard-fought one as both teams gave it their all to take home the early lead. However, while Argentina showed good dominance, the Dutch, on the other hand, managed to defend their goalpost until the 35-minute mark.

However, much to the delight of the Argentina fans, Nahuel Molina scored the lead in the 35th minute and put the team on the front foot right away. It was a tough ask for the Oranje to make a comeback and show up for a fight, given that the goal they conceded 10 minutes prior to the first-half whistle humbled them down and lowered their morale. Eventually, it was Argentina who clinched the first half with a scoreline of 0-1, making things complicated for Netherlands.

Thriller between Netherlands and Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2022

As far as the second half is concerned, Argentina started off confidently and kept passing the ball with supreme accuracy. It was Lionel Messi who kept inspiring the team and bringing the best out of the La Albicelestes. While many expected that the game would make it to the extra time, it was Molina's goal in the initial half that made the difference and it remained to be seen if the Oranje could make a comeback as the scoreline remained unchanged in the 50-minute mark.

The most-awaited moment of the game came when Messi capitalized on a penalty in the 75th minute and helped his team march into the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Spectators, who witnessed the goal, could only erupt with joy and salute their players for their valour right throughout the multinational tournament. Wout Weghorst gave a nightmare to the La Albicelestes post opening Netherlands' account in the 83rd minute, pulling off a stunning goal.

Eventually, much to the stupefaction of the Netherlands fans, Weghorst pulled off a silent goal in the additional time past the 90-minute mark and tied the game, pushing it into the extra time. Much to the surprise of the fans, the match headed into the penalty shootout stage. After fighting it hard for more than 120 minutes, it was Argentina who won the match and stormed into the semi-finals.