Talisman Lionel Messi was absent from the two qualifiers over the past week following his recent COVID-19 case while Rodrigo de Paul and Leandro Paredes were also absent.
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Argentina boss Linoel Scaloni insists there is still plenty to play for in the World Cup qualifying with spots in their squad for Qatar 2022 up for grabs “except for one”. The already-qualified La Albiceleste defeated Colombia 1-0 in Cordoba on Tuesday courtesy of a 29th-minute strike from Lautaro Martinez. The win helped Argentina to 35 points from 15 qualifiers, with 13 wins from their last 15 games. Talisman Lionel Messi was absent from the two qualifiers over the past week following his recent COVID-19 case while Rodrigo de Paul and Leandro Paredes were also absent.
Also read: World Cup Qualifiers: Brazil thrash Paraguay 4-0
? #Eliminatorias #DatoAlbiceleste ??
⚽ Posesión de balón: ?? 55% vs. 45% ?? pic.twitter.com/TIsNAPVq7W
— Selección Argentina ?? (@Argentina) February 2, 2022
“We had the possibility of calling up players but we preferred not to expose footballers who aren’t playing right now,” Scaloni told reporters after the game.
“Not only did we miss players but we had to improvise in putting players in positions. We went forward with these call ups who came to contribute and in the end, it went well.
“Here, you can’t relax. Everyone is part of this process but on the pitch, you have to perform. The players that were here today took advantage of their opportunity.
“There’s still a lot left until the World Cup. No one has their spot secured, except for one, as I have always said.”
The win means Argentina are now unbeaten in 29 games and Scaloni became the first Argentine coach to beat all nine South American national teams. La Albiceleste have now kept clean sheets in their last five home games.
“I don’t think that’s important, it’s how the team functions and how these players feel wearing the shirt,” Scaloni said about their unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile Colombia will need a miracle to play in the 2022 FIFA World cup after their fifth loss in the South American qualifiers. The defeat has left them languishing at the seventh spot with 17 points from 16 games, five points adrift the top four. The top four teams qualify directly to the World Cup finals while the fifth-placed side will play a play-off match.
