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Argentina national football team
World Cup | Quarter-Finals
Jul 5, 2014 at 5pm UK
 
Belgium national football team

1-0

Higuain (8')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Alejandro Sabella admits Lionel Messi dependence

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella says that his side are not a one-man team but admits that Lionel Messi is key to their aspirations.

Alejandro Sabella has admitted that his Argentina team heavily depend on the magic of Lionel Messi, but insisted that they are not a one-man team.

The Barcelona ace has hit four World Cup goals thus far to help La Albiceleste top Group F, before bagging a crucial assist in Tuesday's dramatic extra-time win over Switzerland.

Sabella's side face Belgium in the quarter-final on Saturday but, despite conceding that a player of Messi's quality will always take centre stage, the 59-year-old insists that he has more than one string to his bow.

"Messi dependence? Any team that has a player like Messi will depend on him," the Argentina coach said at a press conference.

"The fact that he is doing what he has been doing shows that he is the best in the world, but there's more to this team.

"Against Switzerland, [Rodrigo] Palacio was the one who won the ball in midfield before he set up Messi ahead of the goal. Without Palacio, we would not have scored that goal."

Tomorrow's clash kicks off at 5pm.

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Jan Vertonghen of Belgium celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between South Korea and Belgium at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 26, 2014
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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