Overview
- Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta on Tuesday after a late rally that kept the team in the World Cup knockout stage.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni substituted Leandro Paredes for Thiago Almada to reconfigure the midfield into a defined defensive pivot that freed Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister to play higher.
- Paredes completed 115 accurate passes, made 11 recoveries with a reported 97% pass success rate, and executed a decisive interception around the 90th minute that stopped a likely Egyptian chance.
- The intervention drew wide praise from media and Boca Juniors, inspired a fan tattoo of the play, and prompted Paredes to say he is focused on helping the team.
- The performance strengthens Paredes’ case as a tactical starter for Scaloni and could help fix Argentina’s transition vulnerabilities by providing a more stable defensive midfield role in later rounds.