Enzo on target as Argentina battle to unconvincing friendly win over Mauritania

[p]The hosts went on the attack almost immediately from kick-off as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Julian Alvarez[/a]’s fourth-minute free-kick forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diop-babacar/YVnTEZnL/"]Babacar Diop[/a] into a fine save. However, there was nothing to stop [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] from breaking the deadlock after 17 minutes.[/p][p][b]Criminally left unmarked as he strode into the box, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/molina-nahuel/M3TzoLot/"]Nahuel Molina[/a]’s delightful delivery into the danger zone was perfectly put on a plate for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-enzo/nZnbEVWP/"]Enzo Fernandez[/a] to expertly sweep home his first-time effort. [/b][/p][p][b]One shortly became two shortly after the half-hour mark, as one of the most in-form players in world football, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paz-martinez-nicolas/GG6EYRT0/"]Nico Paz[/a], curled a stunning free-kick past Diop from outside of the area. [/b][/p][p]However, it wasn’t all about Lionel Scaloni’s side throughout a one-sided first half, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ngom-oumar/UTeVGQBo/"]Oumar Ngom[/a]’s ambitious effort in stoppage time called [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-emiliano/ziCcc5jM/"]Emiliano Martínez[/a] into making a first, but, admittedly, comfortable, save of the match. [/p][embed guid="49f1ebf4-43d0-4e05-bd9c-bfad8116fe5a" url="https://x.com/Argentina/status/2037728344163164626" social-type="twitter" /][p]Already in control of the contest, Scaloni changed up his side at half-time, introducing no fewer than three substitutes, which included [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-paul-rodrigo/AZ6TTjDC/"]Rodrigo de Paul[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mastantuono-franco/tpBPaidM/"]Franco Mastantuono[/a] and of course [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a]. [/p][p]In spite of the hosts’ alternations, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mauritania/Q5QPxhPn/"]Mauritania[/a] had the first sight of goal after nine minutes of the second half, with Rangers’ man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gassama-djeidi/CrOqdcNj/"]Djeidi Gassama[/a] miscuing his close-range effort wide of the intended target. [/p][p]Against the run of play, the visitors were on the attack again in the 65th minute as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-lautaro/QHk1CXUh/"]Martinez[/a] only just managed to redirect [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koita-aboubakary/AgRo5z33/"]Aboubakary Koita[/a]’s fierce strike over the bar with his fingertips.[/p][p][b]Despite their plethora of star-studded players out on the pitch, Argentina inexplicably failed to register a shot on target throughout the second 45 minutes. Instead, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lefort-jordan/ADepyvio/"]Jordan Lefort[/a] pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time to earn Mauritania a place on the scoresheet. [/b][/p][p]Argentina will again grace the Bombonera turf when they face Zambia on Wednesday as they continue to prepare to defend their FIFA World Cup crown on June 17th.[/p][p]Meanwhile, Mauritania won’t feature at this year’s international spectacle after only South Sudan finished below them in their qualification cycle, but the Lions of Chinguetti will surely have learnt a lot after producing a respectable display against FIFA’s third-highest ranked nation. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paz-martinez-nicolas/GG6EYRT0/"]Nico Paz[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Player ratings" id="ad34a753-6796-4bb6-8333-8b683cb97d49" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e5292744-c754-4dfa-a7eb-6c256e582183" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/mauritania-Q5QPxhPn/?mid=xxwZiuZQ"]Catch up on the match summary here.[/a][/b][/p]