The Argentine media have raised slight question marks over Cristian Romero’s defending despite the team keeping a clean sheet against Algeria.
The defending world champions kicked off their World Cup campaign in impressive fashion with a 3-0 win over Algeria.
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Lionel Messi proved why he is still one of the best players on the planet at 38 by netting a World Cup hat-trick for the first time in his illustrious career.
Argentina also managed to keep a clean sheet during the win, but there have still been questions raised over whether their defence is strong enough.
Argentine media think Cristian Romero looked off the pace vs Algeria
Argentine media think Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero looked off the pace during the 3-1 win over Algeria.
Romero suffered a knee injury back in April, which raised fears that the 28-year-old could miss the entire World Cup.
However, the Spurs captain made a swift return to full fitness and was able to play 80 minutes in their first group game against the African side.
The defender managed to win four of his seven duels, made two clearances, two recoveries, and blocked one shot during the game.
Following the win, the local media in Argentina were unsure about how Romero got on and were fairly critical of his display at the Arrowhead Stadium.
- BOLAVIP gave him 5/10: “Like Dibu Martinez, Cuti didn’t suffer in the first half and had almost no work to do; he touched the ball little and was hardly tested. He delivered the first pass well.
“Cuti’s performance was inconsistent in the second half. He was timely at times, but his other plays weren’t as effective. His usual solidity was missed.” - Meanwhile, TYC Sports rated him 6/10: “Good in the air but some doubts in the build-up play, perhaps due to a lack of match fitness since returning from injury.”
- Clarin rated Romero’s display 6/10: “Beyond their solid marking and defensive tactics, Argentina’s weaknesses were exposed when the Algerians advanced through the midfield after breaking through the Argentine line. They improved significantly in the second half.”
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Romero, who is expected to leave Tottenham this summer, remains a key part of Lionel Scaloni’s squad, despite a poor season in North London.
Spurs will hope that Romero will be able to put himself in the shop window at the tournament following their agreed deal to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.
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