Time shows no signs of catching up with Lionel Messi ($10.0m), whose brace against Austria took him to a tournament-leading five goals at this summer’s World Cup.

Argentina’s latest Messi-inspired win also ensured qualification to the Round of 32.

Not only that, but Jordan’s inability to beat Algeria in the later Group J game ensured that the reigning World Cup champions go through in top spot.

We reflect on this game in our Scout Notes, which features match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

ARGENTINA 2-0 AUSTRIA

• Goals: Messi x2
• Assists: Medina
• Penalty won: La Martinez
• Penalty conceded: Posch
• Shot on target bonus: Messi x2
• Tackle bonus: Almada, Mac Allister | Seiwald, Schmid
• Top points scorers: Messi (14), Medina (11), Molina (9), Li Martinez (9), E Martinez (7)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• The frightening thing about Messi’s 14-point haul was that it was arguably under-par. The now all-time top World Cup goalscorer missed a penalty, spurned a one-on-one chance and saw a goalbound shot blocked by a defender before he’d even opened the scoring, sweeping in a nice cut-back from Facundo Medina ($4.0m). An assist later went begging, too, when substitute Nico Gonzalez ($5.6m) headed Messi’s corner agonisingly wide. Messi finished at the second attempt in injury time to seal his brace and all three points for Argentina, capping off a display in which he was central to almost all of his nation’s attacks. La Albiceleste had 12 attempts overall, and Messi either shot (seven) or set up (two) nine of them.
• Such was Messi’s ubiquitousness that no one else really stood out for Argentina from an attacking perspective. None of the veteran’s teammates had more than two efforts, with Enzo Fernandez‘s ($7.5m) brace of shots from the edge of the box both blocked. Lautaro Martinez ($8.8m), up top with Messi, failed to have a single attempt or register a key pass before coming off just after the hour mark. He did, at least, win the penalty that Messi fired wide.
• Head coach Lionel Scaloni made one change for this contest, with Nahuel Molina ($4.4m) taking the place of Gonzalo Montiel ($4.3m). The latter had suffered a hamstring issue in the win over Algeria. Julian Alvarez ($8.6m) had to again be content with a place among the substitutes but did come on in the second half.
• So, what chance of Messi and the other regulars being rested in Round 3, now that their match with eliminated Jordan is a dead rubber? Scaloni, speaking before Jordan’s defeat, hinted that he could hand some of his second-string players a chance, with top spot assured:

“There’s one more match to be played today between Jordan and Algeria. We’ll see the result and the idea, yes, is to give most of them the opportunity to play. I think they deserve it and we’ll do it whenever the match allows.” – Lionel Scaloni on the possibility of giving some fringe players a chance

• One player who may miss out in the final group game is Cristian ‘Cuti‘ Romero ($4.9m), who came off on 57 minutes – and thus failed to bank clean sheet points.

“Cuti, we don’t know the extent of his issue. It’s something that’s been going on for a while, and we hope it’s nothing serious, not only because he’s important, but because… it’s always better to have everyone available. So, we don’t know yet. Tomorrow or the day after, they’ll do a study.” – Lionel Scaloni on Cristian Romero

• Medina was booked in this match, so you wonder if Scaloni will also rest him in Round 3 to avoid the threat of a suspension. Yellow cards are wiped after the group stage.
• As for Austria, this was disappointing from them, even accounting for the stiff opposition. They posed very little open-play threat, with their only shot on target being Marcel Sabitzer‘s ($6.8m) free-kick. Sabitzer looked the likeliest source of a goal, having three of Austria’s six attempts and crossing for a close-range Michael Gregoritsch ($6.0m) header. Most of the threat from Ralf Rangnick’s side came from crosses and set plays, indeed, with Paul Wanner ($5.6m) and Patrick Wimmer ($6.0m) unable to steer headers on target.
• Rangnick again started without Marko Arnautovic ($6.0m), who scored a penalty in Round 1, but the veteran forward came on midway through the second half.
• It’s winner takes second place when Austria meet Algeria this weekend, although a point will be good enough for the Austrians. A draw will probably also send Algeria through in third place.