Argentina started with an extremely mature side - they became the first team in history to go into a World Cup match with four players over the age of 34. And which one was under the most scrutiny, well you can probably figure that out.
Messi scored in the tenth minute from a penalty, the fifth player to score in four different World Cups joining the likes of - Pele, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But that was the only high point for Messi and his fans. Miraculously, Saudi Arabia scored two goals in the second half to turn the game on its head and provide one of the biggest surprises in World Cup history.
If we look at the evolution of the xG during the match, i.e. which team was closer to scoring a goal, we can see the clear superiority of the Argentines. But at the same time, you can see that from the 60th minute onwards they didn't create many chances. The superiority of the Argentines, with their blue curve in this graph, is also indicated by the total number of expected goals - according to the statistical models, the Argentines had chances equivalent to 2.23 goals, while Saudi Arabia scored two goals from an xg of just 0.14.
We can also take a look at Lionel Messi's individual stats. He may have scored from the spot and had three more shots. But he only completed 32 successful passes - for comparison, in a Paris Saint Germain jersey this season, he has an average of more than 60 successful passes per game. It’s also significant that Messi forced only one foul from his opponents in the whole match.
When looking at Saudi Arabia’s performance, their average positions really stands out. Despite being the underdog they kept their defence high at all times and didn't entrench themselves in front of their own goal. Maybe that courage was the difference in this incredible win.
See Argentina vs Saudi Arabia at Flashscore
At the last World Cup in Russia, only one match ended in a goalless draw. In Qatar, the same result can be found on the third day of play. And again it was a failure of the favourite, - Denmark who could only draw with Tunisia 0-0. The most interesting part of the match was Christian Eriksen, who started the World Cup group stage game exactly 528 days after his cardiac arrest at the Euros.
The stats show that both teams had enough chances to score at least one goal. The Danes, who are in blue here, had the better of the game, but they could not convert their chances to get the three points.
Their best chance came from Andreas Cornelius, it’s hard to believe that he didn’t score from a close range position.
This clear-cut chance came after a corner - the Danes created 15 shots from this set play - no one has had more after corners in a World Cup since 1966.
See Denmark vs Tunisia at Flashscore
Robert Lewandowski, another superstar of world football, started his tournament on Tuesday as Poland faced Mexico in Group C. But he, like Lionel Messi a few hours earlier, started the championship poorly missing a penalty in the second half. It was saved by Guillermo Ochoa, the goalkeeping phenomenon of the last few world cups.
From the graph that shows the course of the match, it is clear that the game was a topsy turvy encounter. The Mexicans, who are in blue here, were on the front foot in the first half. In the second half, however, the game became even without producing any clear-cut chances. Except for one.
Lewandowski is one of the best penalty-takers in football. That's evident in this graphic of his last 60 penalties - he's only missed three. Guillermo Ochoa probably saw a similar stat before the game and read from it that the Pole’s spot kicks go to his right. And his careful preparation paid off with a crucial save.
See Mexico vs Poland at Flashscore
The final game of the day in Qatar was not short of surprises and for a while, it seemed that the Australians might well catch the defending champions from France by surprise. Craig Goodwin quickly put them into the lead. But the French turned it around in the first half and eventually won 4-1. The hero of the match was Olivier Giroud, who scored two goals and tied Thiery Henry as the national team's top scorer with 51 goals.
Let's take a look at the graphic that shows the momentum of the match. From it, we can clearly read that the French were dominant throughout the game and especially in the second half where the Socceroos struggled to create anything.
Speaking of Giroud, four years ago he didn't score a single goal at the World Cup in Russia, now he has two goals after the first game. And if the French were worried that the loss of Benzema would hurt them, the Milan striker showed them that it might not be so fatal after all.
See France vs Australia at Flashscore
Such was the third day of play at the 22nd World Cup in data. And while everyone in Saudi Arabia is enjoying a state holiday after the win over Argentina, the schedule in Qatar continues to be packed. That's why we'll bring you the next part of our data round-up tomorrow.
