Argentina 1-0 Iran: Lionel Messi magic saves Alejandro Sabella as superstar fires home injury-time stunner to break minnows and reach last 16

If Argentina's players really did rise as one against their coach during the half-time interval of their opening group encounter, one can only imagine how uncomfortable a scene it was in their dressing room after 45 minutes here. 

Held by a determined, if rather negative, Iran, you have to wonder who got it in the neck this time. Was it Lionel Messi for leading the calls for Alejandro Sabella to dump his 5-3-2 formation and switch to 4-3-3? 

Or have the mutterings of dissent escalated into an all-out mutiny against the man in charge?

In the end Messi came to their rescue, breaking the deadlock of a bruising encounter with a quite brilliant 90th minute goal. 

But what a struggle a proved to get there, the evidence here suggesting that all is not well inside camp Argentina if Messi's public criticism of Sabella's tactics provides an accurate measure of the atmosphere.

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Joy: Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the winner against Iran

Match facts

Argentina (4-3-3): Romero 8; Zabaleta 6.5, F Fernandez 5.5, Garay 6, Rojo 7; Gago 6.5, Mascherano 6, Di Maria 6 (Biglia 90), Aguero 7 (Lavezzi 77), Messi 7.5, Higuain 5.5 (Palacio 77)
Goal: Messi 90
Iran (4-2-3-1): Haghighi 7.5, Montazeri 6.5, Hosseini 7, Sadeghi 7, Pouladi 7.5, Shojaei 6 (Heydari 76), Teymourian 6, Nekounam 6.5, Hajsafi 7 (Reza Haghighi 88), Dejagah 7.5 (Jahanbakhsh 85), Ghoochannejhad 7.
Booked: Nekounam, Shojaei
Att: 57,698
Referee: M Mazic (Serbia).
MOM: Romero (ARG)

They were disjointed and defensively disorganised, at times a shadow of the team we expected to see take this South American World Cup by storm.

Sunday is the anniversary of Diego Maradona's one-man demolition of England in Mexico but the great man, here among the supporters yesterday, would not have been left convinced that another World Cup can be won on this evidence.

Indeed, had it not been Had it not been for some outstanding goalkeeping by Sergio Romero this could have been a repeat of England-USA 1950, such were the opportunities Iran created.

They were also incredibly defensive, but under the instruction of Carlos Quieroz they were a team simply conscious of their weaknesses and playing to their strengths. And they were fit too, Quieroz's success in persuading Iran to end their domestic season in April clearly proving a benefit.

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Drama: Messi cuts inside and lets fly with a left-footed shot in the final seconds

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Stunner: Iran's goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi is beaten by Messi's strike in injury time

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They might fallen to Messi's genius in the end but they deserve respect for making this the contest it was at a jumping Estadio Mineirao. At times they were nothing short of heroic, even if they weren't always terribly easy on the eye.

And while there might have been times when they appeared more interested in acquiring Messi's shirt – the captain had a crack before kick-off and four more players followed the Barcelona superstar off the field at half-time – they also displayed genuine ambition to try and progress beyond this group.

For the tiny pocket of Iran fans - many of them here armed only with cash because international sanctions mean they can't access their bank accounts overseas – there was cause for excitement beyond the simple fact that their team was playing Messi and his international colleagues. There was a chance on goal for the side that battled to a goalless draw in their opening game against Nigeria, Jalal Hosseini meeting a free-kick with a header that flew wide.

 

Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero play football tennis over fence

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Joy and pain: Messi finally found a way through the red Iran wall in epic encounter

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But it did not take long for Argentina to seize control of this game, with Javier Mascherano – winning his 100th cap – and Fernando Gago very much in command in midfield.

The fact that Iran did not concede sooner than they did owed much to the heroics of their goalkeeper, Alireza Haghighi denying Higuain and Aguero with two marvellous saves. 

But they were under so much pressure, their defence stretched in particular by the direct running of of the excellent Angel Di Maria.

Messi, dropping deeper and deeper to get the ball, went close with a free-kick, while Ezequiel Garay really should have struck with the delivery Argentina's number 10 then planted on his head. As it was his effort drifted hopelessly over the crossbar.

It was becoming rather frustrating for Argentina, and more than a little alarming when Hosseini threatened with another header. But it was as a defensive unit that Iran were impressing, even if such negative tactics must have gone against the instincts of a coach who used to stand alongside Sir Alex Ferguson every week.