Messi-Dependence, Martínez Quarta And 3 More Take-Aways From Argentina’s International Break

Two games, six points, three goals scored and one conceded. On paper, Argentina’s start to the marathon South American qualifiers looks like it could not have gone a great deal better. And when you factor in that one of those games was at the altitude of La Paz against Bolivia, where Argentina were hammered 6-1 in 2009 and had not won since 2005, then an extra sheen is added.

Certainly the results are a bonus and will build confidence. Yet the story was not all as positive as the statistics might suggest.

Against Ecuador in Buenos Aires on Friday night, la Selección were labored and devoid of creative spark. And in both matches, they were susceptible to the counter-attack. There are also questions about formation and personnel for manager Lionel Scaloni to consider before the squad gets back together in November.

Here, we look at five of the biggest take-aways from Argentina’s first international fixtures since November 2019.

Messi-dependence

There is a narrative in some quarters that Lionel Messi underperforms in the Albiceleste shirt. Nothing could be further from the truth. Messi has carried his country’s national team for most of the past decade. In qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, Argentina took 2.1 points per game with Messi in the team and just 0.875 points per game when he was missing.

Based on those averages, Argentina would have finished eighth in the Conmebol qualifying table – just between Ecuador and Bolivia – and missed out on Russia 2018 had Messi not played a minute.

Unfortunately, that situation does not appear to have changed. Particularly in the game against Ecuador, Argentina did not look like creating anything if it did not come from from the magical left foot of their No.10. For the penalty that won them the game – which Messi converted, of course – it was the captain who gave life to the move, wriggling past three players in midfield before playing in Lucas Ocampos.

In the Bolivia game the dependence on the Barcelona player was less pronounced, with Exequiel Palacios and substitute Joaquin Correa providing a little more incision, but it was Messi who set up Argentina’s best opportunity in the first half and Messi who had to create the play for the goal that turned the game.

If you have Messi, then using him as much as possible is a wise move. But the lack of other outlets and routes to goal will concern Scaloni.

Susceptibility to the counter-attack

With the rarefied air 3,600m above sea level, getting back to defend after an attack is a physical impossibility, so we can overlook Argentina’s slackness in La Paz. But the susceptibility to the counter in the Bombonera – which sits just a few hundred meters from the Atlantic Ocean – is another point that will worry Albiceleste fans.

Against Ecuador on Friday, there were moments throughout the game when, with a little more precision in their passing, Ecuador could have got in behind the Argentina backline. In the second half in particular, there were two opportunities for Pervis Estupiñán to run at River Plate right-back Gonzalo Montiel. On both occasions, Estupiñán’s cross was poor and went straight into the arms of Franco Armani.

Against better opposition, those lapses in the defensive transition would likely see Argentina concede.

Uncertainty over shape

In the Copa América in Brazil last year, Scaloni opted for a 4-4-2 diamond formation, with Lautaro Martínez and Sergio Aguero up front and Lionel Messi in a central role providing the ammunition for the strike duo to shoot.

It seemed a good solution, but for these games Scaloni ditched that strategy in favour of a 4-4-1-1 – with Messi in behind Martínez – against Ecuador, and a 4-3-3 – with Messi on the left – against Bolivia. The latter formation looked better – the addition of Exequiel Palacios giving Argentina another passing option in central midfield. But Scaloni still appears unsure as to how best to deploy the players he has at his disposal.

Lucas Martínez Quarta

One of the big positives to be taken from these two games was the emergence of Lucas Martínez Quarta, the central defender who moved from River Plate to Fiorentina on deadline day. He had made his debut against Chile in October last year, just before international matches went on hold for 11 months. Now, it looks like the spot on the right side of the center-half partnership is his.

The position has long troubled the national team, and Nicolas Otamendi on the other side is still prone to outlandish errors, but Martínez Quarta appears a good option with a long-term future.

He is a positive defender who will come out to intercept and tackle and in possession, and he has the quality required to build the game from the back. One imagines he will improve further following his move to Serie A and, at 24, he could make the position his for years to come.

Pressing

Finally, there was another plus-point in how Argentina – and in particular Lautaro Martínez – won the ball back high up the pitch in the two games. Former manager Jorge Sampaoli tried and failed to make Argentina into a high-pressing side with a high defensive line, but it appears Scaloni has come to a good compromise; press quickly after losing the ball before dropping back into shape and defending deeper.

That quick pressing was fruitful, too. In the Ecuador game, Martínez won the ball back from Moises Caicedo in the middle of the pitch to spark the move that led to Argentina winning the penalty from which Messi scored. And against Bolivia, it was Martínez’s determination that led to the equalizer. The Inter Milan forward lost the ball in the opposition penalty area but did not give up, and José Carrasco’s attempted clearance bounced off his boot into the net.