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Argentina Beats Australia 2-1 to Advance to World Cup Quarterfinals

Messi Scores Trademark Goal, Sends Argentina Through

Lionel Messi produced a moment of trademark quality to score the opener in a 2-1 win over Australia and send Argentina into the quarter-finals of the World Cup on Saturday. The victory sets up a clash with the Netherlands in the last eight on Friday.

Highlights of the Match

Messi scored his fastest career goal after just nine minutes, latching onto a loose ball and firing into the bottom corner. Julian Alvarez doubled Argentina's lead in the 57th minute, finishing off a fine team move. Australia pulled one back through Craig Goodwin in the 77th minute, but Argentina held on to secure the victory.

The win was Argentina's third in four matches at the World Cup. They lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia but have since beaten Mexico and Poland to reach the knockout stages. Australia were making their first appearance in the knockout stages since 2006, but they were outclassed by a superior Argentina side.

Messi was the star of the show for Argentina, scoring a stunning goal and creating several chances for his teammates. The victory will give Argentina confidence ahead of their quarter-final clash with the Netherlands, who beat the United States 3-1 earlier on Saturday.

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