Lionel Messi misses penalty in crucial World Cup clash against Poland
Lionel Messi was denied from the penalty spot in the first half of Argentina's crucial World Cup clash with Poland.
The 35 year old won the spot kick after colliding with the Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.
A lengthy VAR check followed before the referee awarded the penalty and gave Messi the chance to take his side within touching distance of the round of 16.
However, the PSG man's effort was saved brilliantly by Szczęsny, who dived to his right and pushed the ball away for a corner.
MESSI'S PENALTY IS SAVED!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 30, 2022
Wojciech Szczesny has saved his second spot-kick of the tournament 🤯🔥 Wow.#BBCWorldCup #FIFAWorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/GolmxSmbrM
"Brilliant save," BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy commented after the save.
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"Exceptional."
The save was Szczęsny's second of the tournament so far.
The ex-Arsenal man produced similar heroics in Poland's 1-0 win against Saudi Arabia last week, a result which could take them into the knockout stages of the competition.
As it stands, the stalemate will be enough to take Argentina through but will Messi rue that miss later on?
Topics: Lionel Messi, Poland, Argentina, Football World Cup
James Aldred