Diego Maradona enjoyed a winning start as Argentina coach after seeing his side overcome Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park.
Maxi goal enough to see off Scots
Diego Maradona enjoyed a winning start as Argentina coach after seeing his side overcome Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park.
Maxi Rodriguez's early goal proved to be enough to give Argentina a deserved victory and get Maradona's Argentina reign off to the best possible start.
Argentina dominated from the first whistle as they looked to impress their new boss and they opened the scoring after just eight minutes through Atletico Madrid winger Maxi.
Carlos Tevez played the ball into Jonas Gutierrez who in turn slipped the ball to Maxi inside the six-yard box and he comfortably slotted the ball past Allan McGregor.
Scotland improved in the second half, but they could not find a way past a resolute Argentina defence.
Most of the attention before the game was on Maradona, who returned to Glasgow for the first time since he scored his first goal for Argentina in a 3-1 friendly win at Hampden in 1979.
The former Napoli and Barcelona superstar was given a huge roar of approval from the Tartan Army, mostly for his 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
Breathtaking
Maradona must have been pleased when the action started as the visitors produced an opening 10 minutes of breathtaking football after which they were ahead and cruising.
Defender Martin Demichelis headed a Gutierrez corner just past the post after a minute.
Five minutes later, with the South Americans in complete control, McGregor was forced into a fabulous save from Mascherano's long-range volley.
Argentina scored the opener with another fine move that split open the Scotland defence.
The tireless Tevez picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the box, slipping it to Gutierrez, whose short, first-time pass put Rodriguez in and the Atletico Madrid player clinically slid the ball past McGregor from close range.
In the 19th minute, with no change in the pattern of play, Tevez sent Ezequiel Lavezzi through on goal with a slide-rule pass and McGregor had to block the angled shot from close range with his feet.
It looked as if it was going to be a long night for George Burley's side but at the other end moments later, with Scotland's first attempt on goal, James McFadden's shot from a Kris Commons' cross was blocked for a corner by Demichelis, which the visitors survived.
However, Argentina bared their teeth again in the 35th minute when defender Javier Zanetti raced down the right and cut the ball back to Tevez, who had time to take a touch on the edge of the box before blazing over the bar.
Then five minutes from the break, some hesitation from Demichelis inside the Argentina penalty area as he ushered the ball back to his keeper allowed McFadden to rob him but the Birmingham striker's low drive was too weak to bother Juan Pablo Carrizo.
In the 51st minute, after Scotland tried unsuccessfully to pass their way out of defence, Lavezzi drove over the bar from just inside the box.
It was indicative of the South Americans' more casual approach to the game, although there was still the occasional shaft of skill to light up proceedings, provided by Tevez in the 58th minute when he burst forward with pace only to once again drive over.
Tempo
Argentina dropped the tempo and Scotland sensed there was a way back but there appeared to be a lack of cutting edge to the home side's play.
In the 70th minute, substitute Lee Miller passed up a great chance to equalise when he headed a corner from substitute Shaun Maloney, on for Paul Hartley, past the post from around six yards out.
Three minutes later, after McManus had fouled Demichelis 25 yards from goal, Gabriel Heinze curled a free-kick two yards over the bar.
The game petered out and the Scottish fans in the 32,492 crowd left the ground perhaps grateful the visitors had not registered a more convincing win.
| Scotland |
Team Statistics |
Argentina |
| 0 |
Goals |
1 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 1 |
Shots on Target |
4 |
| 2 |
Shots off Target |
6 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 5 |
Corners |
2 |
| 22 |
Fouls |
12 |
| 1 |
Offsides |
0 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 79.2 |
Passing Success |
85.9 |
| 14 |
Tackles |
28 |
| 78.6 |
Tackles Success |
71.4 |
| 38.6 |
Possession |
61.4 |
| 51.5 |
Territorial Advantage |
48.5 |
|
