Former Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, has faulted the penalty awarded to Argentina in their 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
A cagey start to the game burst into life when a long ball from halfway caught out the Croatia defence and Alvarez collided with Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic, allowing Messi the chance to step up and rifle a spot kick into the roof of the net.
Neville, speaking on ITV, said Julian Alvarez ran into goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and it wasn’t a foul.
“The goalkeeper comes out, he makes a movement to his right, stops himself before the actual shot is meant to be taken and Alvarez just runs into him and takes his leg away. That is not a penalty.
“If I’m a defender and the striker is about to have a shot and I go to block, he then shoots, goes past me and runs into me, that can’t be a foul. You have to block the shot!”
Lionel Messi converted the eventual penalty, before setting up Alvarez to score a brace.
Argentina will now take on either France or Morocco in Sunday’s final.
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COMMENTS
I have said it that Argentina won because they were favour by the referee. By all standard that penalty was too cheap for a semi final game..Football is a contact game . Its not all about whether the goal keeper touch the ball or not. Yes he missed the ball but neither did he foul the player ..I feel downcast by this cheap viictory
@Four Four Two you’re on point . That penalty was not worth giving to Lionel Messi. I don’t know what FIFA is up to but at this moment they’re killing the fairness to the game.