Argentina joined rivals Brazil in qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The two played out a 0-0 draw on matchday 13 of the qualification process that sealed the Albiceleste’s passage to Qatar. Three spots – two automatic and one play-off – remain up for grabs in the South American group, albeit Ecuador have consolidated their hold on one of those with a win over Chile.
Meanwhile, the 0-0 draw between Argentina and Brazil was hardly a drab affair. Although the two sides failed to create clear-cut chances, players from both teams tested the opposite goalkeepers with shots from distance.
One of those shots from Brazil’s Matheus Cunha – from inside his half – caught Emiliano Martinez off his line. But, much to the relief of the Argentinian custodian, it sailed over the bar.
Manchester United midfielder Fred tested his luck from distance a few times and hit the crossbar with one such effort. For Argentina, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi tried to beat Alisson from outside the box, but the Manchester City goalkeeper was equal to their efforts.
Elsewhere, Ecuador beat 10-man Chile 2-0 with goals from Pervis Estupinan and Moises Caicedo. They remain in pole position for the third automatic qualification spot in the group, six points ahead of fourth-placed Colombia with four games left to play.
Behind them, four points separate the teams occupying spots four to nine in the group table. With essentially only one automatic and one play-off spot left to fill, the competition between the six chasing sides is expected to be intense.
Among the chasing group are Oscar Tabarez’s Uruguay, who endured a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of ten-man Bolivia in La Paz. Juan Carlos Arce scored twice on either side of a Marcelo Moreno strike to help Bolivia beat the South American giants. Meanwhile, Peru beat Venezuela to go fifth in the table, for the time being, level on points with Colombia, who could only muster a 0-0 draw against Paraguay.
