Argentina got the job done with a 2-0 win over an abject Poland side who also qualified for the knockouts on goal difference.
It took almost half an hour for a shot to really threaten the goal, and it went the way of Argentina when Julián Álvarez had his effort blocked, and Marcos Acuña flashed the follow up just wide of the post.
Wojciech Szczęsny was called into action when Álvarez shot from close range, and Argentina were given a penalty when the Poland stopper’s seemed to catch Lionel Messi in the face.
Messi then stepped up to take the penalty, but Szczęsny made the save to keep the match at 0-0.
Just one minute into the second half, Alexis MacAllister netted his first international goal and Argentina had the lead with a shot that outfoxed the entire Polish defence and goalkeeper too.
As Argentina continued to pressure Poland, Álvarez repaid the faith Lionel Scaloni had showed in him when he turned inside the box and scored with a stunning finish, and just two minutes later Messi once again forced a good save from Szczęsny.
With Poland seemingly falling apart, Messi fed an excellent ball into Álvarez, but this time his powerful shot hit the side netting.
They simply didn’t attempt to attack in the second half, and their defensive performance just about did enough.