Egypt Are 45 Minutes From History After Stunning Argentina First Half

07.07.26 FT World Cup

Argentina

3

:

Egypt

2

The Pharaohs lead Argentina 1-0 at halftime during their tense World Cup Round of 16 clash in Atlanta driven by a defensive masterclass.

Hossam Hassan’s squad executed their tactical blueprint flawlessly in the opening 45 minutes. The vital breakthrough arrived in the 15th minute via a brilliantly engineered corner.

Midfielder Marwan Attia delivered an inch-perfect cross into a crowded penalty box allowing Yasser Ibrahim to overpower Lisandro Martínez in the air and bury a thunderous header past a stationary Emiliano Martínez.

A Goalkeeping Masterclass

Stunned by the early deficit, the defending champions launched a fierce counter-assault.

Their immediate lifeline arrived when Haitham Hassan recklessly brought down Nicolás Tagliafico inside the area. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the 21st minute penalty aiming low to the right.

However, Mostafa Shobeir cemented his hero status by reading the captain’s intent perfectly diving aggressively to parry the ball to safety.

Shobeir refused to drop his guard, subsequently producing spectacular reflex saves to deny close range efforts from Alexis Mac Allister & Julián Álvarez. Messi also rattled the woodwork with a dangerous free-kick just after the half hour mark but the African defensive block refused to shatter.

The Threat of the Counter

While Argentina dominated possession, Lionel Scaloni's men looked continuously vulnerable in transition. Argentina's desperate push for an equalizer forced their defensive line dangerously high.

This left massive, unprotected spaces for Mohamed Salah to exploit on the break.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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