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The Argentine national soccer team beat Chile 3-0 (partial 0-0), in a match for the seventh round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, played this Thursday at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister (48) and forwards Julián Álvarez (84) and Paulo Dybala (90+1) scored the goals for the victory of the Albiceleste, which remains the leader of the route to the North American World Cup.
The match between Argentina and Chile had a 20% reduction in capacity as a result of a sanction imposed by Conmebol against Argentina for racist chants in previous matches, so the lower stands looked empty.
Before the match, a tribute was paid to Ángel Di María, who retired from the Argentine national team after winning the Copa América in the United States, in an event attended by Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL, who presented the Benfica player with a replica of the continental trophy.
It didn’t take long for the Albiceleste to take control of the ball and push Chile back into their own half, the latter looking stuck in their exit, pressured in all sectors, harassed by the intense play of the world champions.
The home team soon created dangerous situations, including a shot from De Paul that was saved by a defender, a high right-footed shot from Julián Álvarez from a good position, a cross shot from De Paul that forced Gabriel Arias to move, and a header from Nico González that went too far to the center.
The overwhelming local dominance made Ricardo Gareca, the coach of La Roja, impatient, who tried to get his players out of the siege, and only achieved that objective near the halfway point, as Chile had a little more dynamic in its movements.
The emotions returned at the end of the first half, with the visitors’ first chance, a header from Catalán that hit the base of the left post and was millimetres away from giving Chile an unexpected advantage, and which would later be saved as the only great chance for the visitors.
The score at the end of the first half punished Argentina’s lack of efficiency, which overwhelmed them with 70% possession of the ball, but had missed each of its eight shots on goal.
The wall that Chile had built during the first half to defend its goal collapsed at the dawn of the second half, when the home team found what it was lacking: the precision and speed necessary to break the tie.
The 1-0 came from a great collective action that ended with a cross from Julián Álvarez, Martínez let it pass and Mac Allister came in from behind to hit a dry right-footed shot into the corner, against Arias’ leg, who was waiting for the cross shot.
The opening goal calmed the home team, who maintained control of the game but did not take their foot off the accelerator completely.
If Argentina needed anything else to crown the night, Julián Álvarez found the net again, with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the area that hit the crossbar and went in, too powerful for Arias to resist.
With no answers, Chile resigned itself and the world champions increased their numbers to build on the rout with Garnacho’s assist for Paulo Dybala, who did honour to the number 10 that the now absent Messi usually wears, with a hook to elude a defender and punish with a powerful shot to the near post of Arias for 3-0 that closed another night of celebration for Argentina.
On the following date, the Albiceleste will visit Colombia on Tuesday in Barranquilla, while Chile will host Bolivia in Santiago.
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