Argentina booked their quarter-final place in dramatic fashion, coming from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2.

All three of La Albiceleste’s goals came in the final 15 minutes, turning what looked like a shock exit into a stunning late comeback. They now move on to face Switzerland in the last eight.

Here are our Scout Notes from the match, featuring match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

• READ MORE: World Cup Fantasy: ‘OOP’ midfielder haul + why De Bruyne was benched
• READ MORE: World Cup Fantasy: Fifth Spain clean sheet + another Yamal blank

ARGENTINA 3-2 EGYPT

• Goals: Romero, Messi, Fernandez | Ibrahim, Zico
• Assists: Messi, Montiel, L. Martinez | Attia, Hassan
• Penalty won: Tagliafico
• Tackles bonus: Paredes, Mac Allister
• Shots on target bonus: Messi
• Top points scorers: Messi (11), Fernandez (10), Romero (8)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• Argentina made three changes to the side that edged past Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the Round of 16. One was enforced, with Nicolás Tagliafico ($4.3m) replacing the injured Facundo Medina ($4.0m) at left-back. Medina finished the previous match struggling with cramp, so Scaloni opted for fresh legs. Further forward, Leandro Paredes ($5.6m) returned in place of Thiago Almada ($6.5m), while Julián Álvarez ($8.6m) came in for Lautaro Martínez ($8.8m) to partner Lionel Messi ($10.0m) in attack.
• The changes came as little surprise. After the previous match, Scaloni had already hinted that he would freshen up his side following 120 demanding minutes.

“We have the option of using players who haven’t played as many minutes. We’ll try to bring some of those players in so we can be a bit fresher, while having those who’ve played more minutes available from the bench.” – Lionel Scaloni, speaking prior to the game

• With those changes in mind, the players who came into the starting XI may not necessarily be secure Fantasy picks moving forward.
• Argentina dominated almost every key metric. They enjoyed 64% possession, generated 2.84 xG (expected goals), created six big chances and fired 19 shots.
• Even so, they still conceded twice. Yasser Ibrahim headed Egypt in front after meeting a deep cross that left Emiliano Martínez ($5.0m) helpless. Argentina then received an early warning when Mostafa Zico’s finish was ruled out for a foul in the build-up after Haissem Hassan had surged down the right. The South Americans didn’t learn their lesson. Soon after, Mohamed Salah led a two-on-three counter-attack, slipped Hassan through, and the winger rounded his marker before teeing up Zico to make it 2-0.
• Argentina created plenty before their late comeback. Tagliafico won an early penalty, but Messi ($10.0m) saw his spot-kick saved, leaving him with four misses from eight World Cup penalties. Alexis Mac Allister ($6.6m), who had been tipped to miss out, headed narrowly wide from Rodrigo De Paul’s ($5.9m) cross. Messi also rattled the post with a curling free-kick from long range, while Álvarez failed to beat the goalkeeper from close range after Tagliafico squared the ball across the six-yard box.
• Argentina’s pressure finally paid off. Messi floated a cross onto the head of Cristian Romero ($4.9m), who powered home to halve the deficit. Four minutes later, Gonzalo Montiel ($4.3m) set up Messi, whose volley flew in after bouncing off both the goalkeeper and the crossbar. The winner arrived in stoppage time. Lautaro burst down the right and delivered an inviting cross for Enzo Fernández ($7.5m) to head home at the back post.
• Messi missed another penalty, although Fantasy managers escape a points deduction for this in the FIFA game. He more than made up for it, though. The Argentina captain topped the team for both shots (five) and key passes (six), underlining just how influential he was. With eight goals and one assist already at this World Cup, he continues to deliver remarkable consistency.
• Álvarez, meanwhile, may struggle to keep his place for the quarter-final. Aside from his missed one-on-one, he offered little in attack. Lautaro, by contrast, changed the game after coming on.

“I’d be foolish to say we won because I brought on Lautaro, who was involved in all the goalscoring situations. We were 2-0 down – what else was I supposed to do?” – Lionel Scaloni

• Overall, Argentina needed another dramatic comeback to get the job done. Defensively, there are still concerns. They have now conceded twice in consecutive matches against African opposition. On the positive side, their defenders continue to contribute at the other end, with several of them playing key roles in recent goals.
• In attack, Messi remains the clear standout. None of his attacking teammates have matched his consistency, so backing anyone else in Argentina’s frontline would be a far riskier play for Fantasy managers.
• Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Scaloni’s side will be odds-on to progress, but then they were twice overwhelming favourites in their last two knockout ties and nearly came a cropper. They’ll need to tighten up defensively if they are to keep their ambitions of retaining the World Cup alive.