Beijing, June 16 – Lionel Messi opened the scoreline early, steering Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Australia in an international friendly held at the Workers’ Stadium, here on Thursday.
Only two minutes into the match, Messi intercepted a cross at the top of the penalty area. He dribbled past a defender before dispatching a curling left-foot shot into the net, Xinhua reported.
Substitute Pezzella augmented the lead to 2-0 in the 68th minute, directing a header into the middle of the goal box.
Both teams put up an exhilarating match that kept the spectators on their toes until the final whistle.
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The friendly match attracted more than 50,000 Chinese football fans to the stadium.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over Australia in the Round of 16.
