Messi magic puts Socceroos to the sword in Argentina’s 2-0 friendly win

• As it happened: Argentina beat Australia 2-0 in Beijing.

It took less than one minute for tickets to sell out for the Socceroos’ rematch with Argentina in Beijing. It took Lionel Messi only a few seconds more to give them all exactly what they came for.

Six months ago, Australia took the eventual world champions to the wire in Qatar, giving them such a fright they specifically sought a sequel with Graham Arnold’s men. On that night at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha, the result was defined by a handful of moments – the most memorable one being a slice of sheer magic from Messi, on the one real occasion the Socceroos let him off their leash towards the end of the first half.

The only real difference here was that it came much earlier.

Argentina prevailed 2-0 in Thursday night’s friendly, but like last time, were never allowed to feel overly comfortable by the Socceroos. Once again, they played the role of the plucky foil. They did a good job of it, but don’t really want to be typecast as gallant losers anymore.

Seven of Australia’s 11 starters from that World Cup round of 16 showdown were involved; for Argentina, only two were missing. Messi, 35, who is on the cusp of signing a deal with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, was of course the star attraction, the sole reason why this strange venture in China was even viable, and again showed why so many grown adults go weak at the knees for him – and why Socceroos players were queueing up post-match to swap jerseys with him.

As good as this match was, there was no escaping the fact that commercial interests made it happen. Argentina will reportedly pocket tens of millions of dollars from their two-game tour of Asia, which takes them to Indonesia next; the names on the back of players’ jerseys here were spelt out in Mandarin.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action against the Socceroos on Thursday night at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.Credit: AP

None of the 68,000 people at the newly renovated Workers’ Stadium in Beijing were even remotely interested in the Socceroos.

Arnold spoke pre-match about how the only area where Australia needed to improve on from their last dance with La Albiceleste was in retaining the ball better, and not giving possession away so cheaply. So much for that. One sloppy touch from Qatar hero Mathew Leckie, who stumbled as he received a pass in a dangerous central position, with only 1:15 on the clock, beckoned immediate punishment.

Enzo Fernandez duly pounced on the ball, surged forward and dished off to Messi, who did what he has done so many times before: jinking across the top of the penalty area, calmly searching for the right angle, and then, boom. The trigger was pulled, the ball was in the back of the net, and the Socceroos were already on the back foot before they knew what’d hit them.

When they eventually managed to string a few passes together, Australia looked good, lining up in a 4-2-2-2 formation that would be very familiar to followers of Arnold’s old Sydney FC team. Most players equipped themselves very well.

Australia’s Nathaniel Atkinson tackles Argentina’s Nicolas Gonzales.Credit: AP

Jordan Bos, due to link up with his new Belgian club KVC Westerlo after this match, started at left-back and, despite being only 20 and playing for the second time at this level, looked right at home in both defence and attack, proving why educated observers think he will have a decade-long mortgage on his position.

Bos should have had an assist in the 28th minute, such was the quality of his cross for Mitchell Duke, but his attempt went straight at Emiliano Martinez, who pushed it onto the post. It was a massive let-off for Argentina, one of the highlights of Australia’s first-half resurgence, and the team’s most clear-cut chance of the game, but there would be no reward gleaned from the high press which repeatedly troubled the world champions.

Messi almost nonchalantly tore Australia’s defence apart again in the shadows of half-time, ghosting away from his marker Kye Rowles and dinking his resultant shot over the bar, another reminder of how small an opening his genius needs to cause havoc.

His ever-present threat yielded Argentina’s second goal, albeit indirectly, in the 68th minute. Messi’s brilliant little short-corner combination with Rodrigo De Paul unlocked the Socceroos’ defensive structures, the latter’s cross finding substitute German Pezzella unmarked near the six-yard box. Maty Ryan was left fuming that nobody had picked up his run – and then needed to produce a desperate low save to his right to keep out Julian Alvarez a few minutes later.

The Socceroos had enjoyed some good spells on the ball before that little match-killing burst by Argentina, albeit without any decisive actions in the final third to make them sweat. It is there, as much as their defensive awareness, that they need to do better to truly compete with this calibre of team - including their next opponents, England, who they face in October at Wembley Stadium.

It’s the most difficult part of the game, and yet Messi makes it look so easy.

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