Argentina clinched a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands to set up a last-four clash with Croatia for a place in the World Cup final.
2022 World Cup
2-2
Penalty Shootout
Argentina looked like cantering into the semis after Nahuel Molina opened the scoring with his first goal for his country, before Lionel Messi added a second from the penalty spot with less than 20 minutes left to play.
But substitute Wout Weghorst latched on to a delicious Steven Berghuis cross to head Netherlands back into the contest with their first effort on target, before poking home from a brilliantly worked free-kick in the 10th-minute of injury-time.
Enzo Fernandez rattled the post in the last minute of extra-time, but with the score level at 2-2, the quarter-final tie went to the dreaded spot-kicks.
Emiliano Martinez saved the first two Netherlands penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Berghuis, giving the Dutch a mountain to climb, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the decisive spot-kick to ensure Argentina prevailed 4-3 in the shootout.
Match Events
21' Otamendi makes an important clearance
24' CLOSE! Depay’s shot wide out
31' Yellow Card! Scaloni booked
34' GOAL! Netherlands 0-1 Argentina (Nahuel Molina)
40' Messi’s shot Saved By Keeper!
42' Yellow Card! Jurrien Timber booked
47' Yellow Card! Weghorst booked
62' Messi’s Free kick inches wide!
72' Penalty Goal! Netherlands 0-2 Argentina (Messi)
82' GOAL! Netherlands 1-2 Argentina (Weghorst)
84' CLOSE! Weghorst’s shot wide out
87' Yellow Card! Berghuis booked
88' Yellow Card! Paredes booked
100' GOAL! Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Weghorst)
Line-ups
Netherlands XI: Blind, De Roon, Depay, Ake, Van Dijk, Andries Noppert, Bergwijn, Dumfries, De Jong, Cody Gakpo, Jurrien Timber
Subs: Remko Pasveer, Luuk de Jong, De Vrij, Berghuis, Klaassen, Weghorst, Vincent Janssen, Justin Bijlow, De Ligt, Teun Koopmeiners, Lang, Tyrell Malacia, Kenneth Taylor, Jeremie Frimpong, Xavi Simons
Argentina XI: Messi, Otamendi, E. Martinez, Acuna, De Paul, Nahuel Molina, Romero, Mac Allister, Martinez, Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández
Subs: Gomez, Di Maria, F. Armani, Tagliafico, Gerónimo Rulli, Paredes, Pezzella, Dybala, Correa, G. Rodriguez, Exequiel Palacios, Lautaro, Gonzalo Montiel, Foyth, Thiago Almada