Debut SenesiaLionel Messi personally wiped Estonia. In a friendly match in Pamplona, Spain, the star player scored five goals in a game that was won 5-0. It was also a beautiful evening for Feyenoord defender Marcos Senesi: he made his debut for Argentina.
He was already the big man on the side of Argentina in the Finalissima against Italy in midweek (3-0), but Messi decided tonight in the Estadio El Sadar, the stadium of Osasuna, to put a beautiful crown on his week. At halftime, the Paris Saint-Germain player had already scored his first two goals. He first used a penalty after German Pezzella was knocked down by Estonian goalkeeper Matvei Igonen, after which he also scored the 2-0 just before half-time with a hard shot.
After the break there was no size at all on Messi. Within two minutes he tapped in a cross on a pass from Nahuel Molina and then also scored goal four and five in minutes 71 and 76 against a hopeless Estonia. He became the third player to score five goals in one game on behalf of Argentina after Juan Andrés Marvezzi in 1941 against Ecuador and José Manuel Moreno in 1942 against Ecuador.
It is the second time in his career that Messi has scored five goals in one game. In the 2011/2012 season, Bayer Leverkusen was the other victim. Then Messi scored five times in the eighth final of the Champions League in a 7-1 win at Camp Nou.
The Argentine media ran out of superlatives. ,,Of course the number 110 in the world is not an indicator”, wrote the Argentine newspaper Clarín. ,,But Lionel Messi has once again surpassed himself in the national team. For the first time he scored five goals in an international match. It was eighty years old. “Since a player scored five goals in one game for the Albiceleste. Messi now has 86 goals in 162 caps. It seems he never finishes playing. What a joy he radiates.”
,,These are statistics that crush and fascinate,’ La Nación added effortlessly. ,,Messi cannot be categorized. He is exceptional, really exceptional.” According to the newspaper, the World Cup in Qatar is the dot on the horizon. Messi must guide Argentina to the world title at the end of this year. “Messi are our brains and executioner in one, he is also a trapeze artist, puppeteer and killer† “Messi is now better than before,” national team coach Scaloni said recently. But Messi is letting us get used to the extraordinary.”
Marcos Senesic
Until the 62nd minute, Ajax defender Lisandro Martínez witnessed Messi’s masterpiece from close by. He started in the base, but was substituted after more than an hour. Martínez was replaced by Feyenoord defender Senesi, who made his debut for Argentina after leaving an international career for Italy on the left. ,,I am very happy that I was able to make my first minutes for Argentina. I’ve always dreamed of this,” Senesi said afterwards.
Senesi was still in the stands of Wembley against Italy on Wednesday. Ajax player Nicolás Tagliafico remained on the bench for the entire game with Argentina, which has now been unbeaten for 33 international matches in a row under national coach Lionel Scaloni.
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