Argentina endured a scary end to an interesting affair to beat Australia 2-1 in their round of 16 clash at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, NRTC reports.

Lionel Messi scored a beauty to put the Argentines ahead before Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez doubled the advantage in the second half. Australia’s consolation came when a shot was deflected off Enzo Fernández into the Albiceleste goal.

The win now means Argentina will face the Netherlands in the quarter-final of the 2022 World Cup.

ALSO READ: Netherlands beat USA, advance to World Cup quarter-final

Argentina dominated the early exchanges and looked promising. Messi, Marcos Acuna and Julian Alvarez were impressive but there was no clear cut chance for the team to convert.

more to follow