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Lisandro Martinez denied stunning Australia goal with incredible last-ditch tackle

Lisandro Martinez denied stunning Australia goal with incredible last-ditch tackle

Australia pushed Argentina all the way but ultimately fell short

Marcus Chan

Marcus Chan

Lisandro Martinez made a stunning tackle to deny Australia a late equaliser to take Argentina to extra time.

In what was a much anticipated World Cup last-16 clash, Argentina were the overwhelming favourites as they had none other than Lionel Messi in their ranks, whilst Australia already defied the odds by reaching the knockout stages.

Messi scored a beautiful goal in the 35th minute to give his side the lead, which was later doubled by Julian Alvarez in the 57th minute after a poor error by Socceroos keeper Matthew Ryan.

Australia received a lifeline in the 77th minute after Craig Goodwin’s effort was deflected into the back of his own net by Enzo Fernandez.

With the final whistle edging ever closer, Australia pushed hard to create that one big chance to take the match to extra time.

In the 80th minute, Australia’s left-back Aziz Behich was denied what could have been the goal of the tournament by Argentina’s Manchester United centre-back Martinez.

Behich took the ball and drove towards the Argentine defence with real pace and purpose, as he entered the penalty area, he managed to send Nicolas Otamendi to the floor.

When he was poised to take a shot towards goal, in came Martinez with a monumental block tackle to deny the Dundee United full-back.

Fans were quick to react to the tackle.

One fan said: “Love the way he's always so fired up, ready for the fight - great player.”

Another tweeted: “Butcher doing butcher things.”

A third fan added: “LISANDRO MARTINEZ WITH THE GAME-WINNING BLOCK!”

It proved to be a match-winning tackle as Argentina managed to hold on for a hard-fought 2-1 win.

With that victory, Messi and his team are now safely through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Next up for the 2014 finalists will be a tough test against the Netherlands, who secured their passage to the last eight by beating the United States 3-1.

How far can Argentina go? Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: Lisandro Martinez, Argentina, Australia, Football, Football World Cup