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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Nizaar Kinsella

Lionel Messi to encounter Polish barrage as icon bids to extend World Cup dream in Argentina crunch match

After being compared to legendary Alpine skier Alberto Tomba, Lionel Messi will attempt to navigate his way around Poles and guide Argentina into the last-16 at the World Cup.

Argentina face Poland needing a win to guarantee qualification to the knockout stage here.

A draw will send them through if Saudi Arabia and Mexico also draw, or if the Mexicans win by up to a two-goal margin.

Poland head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz says tonight is more than simply a shootout between Messi and Robert Lewandowski, but knows his side will need a big effort to stop the Argentina legend.

“At our team briefing we talked about Alberto Tomba on the slope; he was able to avoid everyone,” said Michniewicz, whose side top Group C, one point ahead of Argentina.

“So I need to put my players in positions to make a difference because, if not, Messi will score easily. You need more than one person to halt him.”

Michniewicz added: “We rely on these great strikers, but an individual cannot win alone.

“It is not only a battle between Lewandowski and Messi — it is not tennis, it is not one-on-one, they are not serving!

“Robert needs his team-mates just the same as Leo. Playing Argentina, you have to prepare for when you concede and to avoid panic when that happens.

“How to stop Messi is a great question. The world has been thinking about it for several years and I don’t think we will find an answer. At 35, he says this is his last World Cup, so I expect he will be very ambitious.”

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