Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Thursday 15 December 2022
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Thursday 15 December 2022.
Front Page, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Thursday 15 December 2022
👉The toughest decision: leaving the Nazionale
Vialli’s Battle
👉World Cup. Mbappé challenges Messi: Argentina-France Final
A game for kings
Les Bleus beat Morocco and seek a bis
Corriere dello Sport, Front Page, Thursday 15 December 2022 .
Front Page Corriere dello Sport, Thursday 15 December 2022
👉France in the Final (2-0): On Sunday Mbappé-Messi, the challenge between the top players of two generations
Kylian can win his second consecutive World Cup like Pele
Leo and Argentina want to repeat Diego’s achievement pic.twitter.com/lyM9YjBzCc
🏆👉 Argentina won the FIFA World Cup Semifinals defeating Croatia on Tuesday 13 December 2022 at the Lusail Nationa in Lusail, Qatar. Argentina qualified to the World Cup Final with the absolute star of the game Captain Lionel Messi. A historic victory. Messi becomes Argentina’s top scorer at the World Cup with 11 goals to his credit and with his 25th match at the World Cup equals Lothar Matthäus as the most featured player in the history of the competition. Argentina will play the FINAL against the winner between France and Morocco. This is Argentina’s sixth final, which places behind Germany (eight).
This is the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, the first in the knockout stage. Argentina won 1-0 in 1998, before Croatia won 3-0 in the 2018 edition in Russia.
Italian Serie A players called up in this game
🇭🇷 Croatia: Martin Erlic (Sassuolo) listed as a substitute
Marcelo Brozović (Inter) played until the 50th minute and was replaced by Bruno Petkovic.
Mario Pašalić (Atalanta) played until the 45th minute and was replaced by Nikola Vlašić.
Nikola Vlašić (Torino) played from the 45th minute after replacing Mario Pašalić
🇦🇷 Argentina: Leandro Paredes (Juventus) played until the 62nd minute and was replaced by Lisandro Martínez.
Angel Di Maria (Juventus) listed as a substitute
Lautaro Martinez (Inter) listed as a substitute
Paulo Dybala (Roma) played from the 75th minute after replacing Julián Álvarez.
🏆 👉 Congratulations to @SerieA_EN players with Argentina for the qualification to the @FIFAWorldCup Final:
🇮🇹 Siamo finalisti 🇵🇹 Somos finalistas 🇺🇸 We are finalists 🇫🇷 Nous sommes finalistes 🇩🇪 Wir sind Finalisten 🇳🇱 Wij zijn finalisten אנחנו גמורים🇮🇱 نحن المتأهلون للتصفيات النهائية 🇸🇦 🇨🇳 我们是决赛选手 🇯🇵 私たちはファイナリストです
Referee Daniele Orsato gave a penalty to Argentina. In the 34th minute, forward Lionel Messi defeated Croatia goalkeeper converting the penalty with a left-footed shot to the top right corner. The penalty is conceded by Dominik Livakovic.
🏆👉 🇦🇷 Argentina 1 – 0 Croatia 🇭🇷, 34th minute, ⚽️ goal by Lionel Messi converted a penalty for @Argentina with a left-footed shot to the top right corner. The penalty is conceded by Dominik Livakovic. https://t.co/Q5Unbdf6Jc
13 – Since the 1966 edition, no player has scored or assisted in more different World Cup matches than Lionel Messi (13 – level with Ronaldo). Mesmerising. pic.twitter.com/RQ84czXWsB
Argentina increased the score in the 38th minute. Julián Álvarez scored from very close range with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner.
🏆👉 🇦🇷 Argentina 2 – 0 Croatia 🇭🇷, 38th minute, ⚽️ goal by Julián Álvarez for @Argentina from very close range with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner. https://t.co/uHJYiYqQSu
6 – Julián Álvarez has scored in six of his eight starts for Argentina in all competitions (6 goals), with three of his goals coming at World Cup 2022. Determined. pic.twitter.com/4yFDJfL6kC
Argentina rocking big time. In the 68th minute, Julián Álvarez scored with a right footed shot to the center. The assist is by Lionel Messi.
🏆👉 🇦🇷 Argentina 3 – 0 Croatia 🇭🇷, 68th minute, ⚽️ goal by Julián Álvarez for @Argentina with a right footed shot to the center. The assist is by Lionel Messi. https://t.co/TYGXbl10eu
✅ Stats before the game. Argentina could reach the final at the World Cup for the sixth time, only Germany has more (8). Albiceleste have never been eliminated in the semifinals, in their last semifinal of 2014 they won against the Netherlands.
Croatia could become the fourth European nation to reach the final of the World Cup in at least two consecutive editions, after Italy (1934, 1938), the Netherlands (1974, 1978) and Germany (1982, 1986, 1990). Following their shoot-out win against Brazil in the quarter-finals, Croatia could become the second team to eliminate Brazil and Argentina in the knockout stages of a single World Cup, after Germany in 2014. Argentina have won just one of their last seven World Cup matches against European sides (D3 L3), beating Poland 2-0 in this season’s group stage. However, in two of those three draws they then progressed through the lottery of penalties. Croatia have never scored the first goal of a match in their last nine World Cup matches, the last time coming in a 2-1 win against Iceland in the 2018 group stage. in the competition without ever finding the first goal of the match.
🏆👉 Lineup ARGENTINA (4-4-2): E. Martinez; Molina (86′ Foyth), Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul (74′ Palacios), Paredes (62′ Li. Martinez), E. Fernandez, Mac Allister (86′ Correa); Messi, Alvarez (74′ Dybala).
🏆👉 Here are Argentina vs Croatia official starting lineups for the FIFA World Cup Semifinals on Tuesday 13 December 2022 at the Lusail Nationa in Lusail, Qatar at 22:00.
Italian Serie A players called up in this game
🇭🇷 Croatia: Martin Erlic (Sassuolo)
Marcelo Brozović (Inter)
Mario Pašalić (Atalanta)
Nikola Vlašić (Torino)
🇦🇷 Argentina: Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Paulo Dybala (Roma)
🏆👉 Lineup ARGENTINA (4-4-2): Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Fernandez, Paredes, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
% Ball Possession NETHERLANDS and % Ball Possession ARGENTINA
Netherlands 2 – 2 Argentina
83′ Wout Weghorst 35′ Nahuel Molina
90+11′ Wout Weghorst 73′ Lionel Messi (pen)
. Argentina advance on penalties (4-3)
❌ V. van Dijk ⚽️ Lionel Messi
❌ S. Berghuis ⚽️ L. Paredes
⚽️ T. Koopmeiners ⚽️ G. Montiel
⚽️ W. Weghorst ❌ E. Fernández
⚽️ L. de Jong ⚽️ Lautaro Martínez
🏆👉 Argentina suffered but in the end won on penalties the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals defeating the Netherlands on Friday 9 December 2022 at the Lusail National Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s saves in the penalty lottery, on Van Dijk and Berghuis, combined with Inter forward Lautaro Martinez’s winning goal put Argentina ahead. There will be no South American match against Brazil who were beaten by Croatia. Argentina will face Croatia in the semifinals repeating the path of four years ago when they reached the final. Penalties were needed for the Albiceleste to get the better of Van Gaal’s Netherlands after having squandered the double advantage built with Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi in the final. Weghorst’s brace between the 83rd and 101st minutes took the match into extra time
This is the sixth World Cup meeting between the Netherlands and Argentina: only Brazil vs Sweden (seven times) and Argentina vs Germany (seven) have been more frequently contested ties in the competition.
Italian Serie A players called up in this game
🇳🇱 Netherlands: Stefan de Vrij (Inter) listed as a substitute
Denzel Dumfries (Inter) played all game, got red card in the 120th minute
Marten de Roon (Atalanta) played until the 45th minute and was replaced by Teun Koopmeiners.
Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) played from the 46th minute after replacing Marten de Roon.
🇦🇷 Argentina: Leandro Paredes (Juventus) played from the 66th minute after replacing Rodrigo De Paul. Yellow card 89th minute
Angel Di Maria (Juventus) played from the 112th minute after replacing Lisandro Martínez.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter) played from the 82nd minute after replacing Julián Álvarez.
Paulo Dybala (Roma) listed as a substitute
Argentina opened the score in the 35th minute. Nahuel Molina defeated Netherlands goalkeeper with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner. The assist is by Lionel Messi.
🏆👉🇳🇱 Netherlands 0 – 1 Argentina 🇦🇷, 35th minute, ⚽️ goal by Nahuel Molina for @Argentina with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner. The assist is by Lionel Messi. https://t.co/PGBm0szlQ7
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz gave a penalty to Argentina. Forward Lionel Messi converted the penalty with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The penalty is conceded by Denzel Dumfries.
🏆👉🇳🇱 Netherlands 0 – 2 Argentina 🇦🇷, 73rd minute, ⚽️ goal by Lionel Messi converted a penalty for @Argentina with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The penalty is conceded by Denzel Dumfries. https://t.co/ecdAXmWMaE
The Netherlands shortened the distance in the 83rd minute. Wout Weghorst defeated Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with a headed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Steven Berghuis.
🏆👉🇳🇱 Netherlands 1 – 2 Argentina 🇦🇷, 83rd minute, ⚽️ goal by Wout Weghorst for @OnsOranje with a headed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Steven Berghuis. https://t.co/eneQLSBiHh
A thriller ending. In the last second, the Netherlands equalized for the 2-2. A brace by Wout Weghorst with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Teun Koopmeiners.
🏆👉🇳🇱 Netherlands 2 – 2 Argentina 🇦🇷, 90+11′, ⚽️ goal by Wout Weghorst for @OnsOranje with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Teun Koopmeiners. https://t.co/OziQHETC0T
Lautaro Martínez: “I got a decisive penalty, just like the one in the Copa América. On that walk to the penalty spot I was very calm because I trust my work.” https://t.co/yCFMyjnRiJ
✅ Stats before the game. The Netherlands have lost just one of their nine meetings with Argentina in all competitions (W4 D4), the defeat dating back to the 1978 World Cup final. However, the last of the four ties ended in defeat on penalties for the Orange, in the last meeting between the two teams in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup. The last two matches between the Netherlands and Argentina at the World Cup ended 0-0: in the 2006 group stage and in the 2014 semi-final (in this second case, Argentina qualified after penalties). Since their defeat by Uruguay in the 1930 final, all of Argentina’s last nine World Cup knockout eliminations (including the finals) have come against European national teams, including a 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 1998 final. The Netherlands have progressed in all of their last three World Cup quarter-finals (1998, 2010, 2014): their only defeat in this phase of the competition dates back to 1994 against future champions Brazil. Argentina have been eliminated in three of their last four World Cup quarter-finals, although they won their last game at this stage, against Belgium in 2014. However, in each of their three World Cup quarter-final matches in which they passed the round, Albiceleste then also reached the final (1986, 1990 and 2014).
🏆👉 Here are the Netherlands vs Argentina official starting lineups – formations for the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals on Friday 9 December 2022 at the Lusail National Stadium in Lusail, Qatar at 22:00 (local time).
Italian Serie A players called up in this game
🇳🇱 Netherlands: Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).
🇦🇷 Argentina: Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Paulo Dybala (Roma)
By Anna Italia
