Lionel Messi's Argentina in danger of missing the World Cup after stalemate with Peru

Posted Saturday, October 07, 2017 by Express.co.uk

Lionel Messi's Argentina in danger of missing the World Cup after stalemate with Peru
Lionel Messi's Argentina face the possibility of not qualifying for Russia 2018

ARGENTINA are in peril of missing their first World Cup since 1970 after they were held to a 0-0 draw against Peru.

Even a sell-out home crowd in Buenos Aires' La Bombonera was not enough to rally a side including Lionel Messi, who slipped further from the qualifying places.

Coach Jorge Sampaoli said the team was "angry" with the result, that came in front of a sell-out home crowd in Buenos Aires, but the coach remains confident they will make it to Russia in 2018.

The two-time World Cup champions reached the final against Germany three years ago and Sampaoli said: "I am very confident that if we play with the conviction with which we did it today we will be in the World Cup.

"The situation is not comfortable. But the ranking still depends on us. We are very hopeful for everything that comes."

Sampaoli praised Messi for playing with "great intensity", creating opportunities and putting balls "in places that were impossible".

"I am convinced that if we are as we were today, that Argentina is going to the World Cup," he said.

Now two places outside the qualification zone in sixth, Argentina must beat eighth place Ecuador on Wednesday and hope fifth-placed Peru draw or lose against fourth place Colombia in order to secure a play-off position against New Zealand.