ATLANTA, United States, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentina staged a stunning comeback at the World Cup round of 16 as the defending champion came from two goals down to edge past Egypt 3-2 and reach the quarterfinals here on Tuesday.
Having trailed by two goals for nearly 80 minutes, Argentina mounted a dramatic fightback, scoring twice within five minutes before netting a stoppage-time winner to complete a sensational comeback victory.
"We made our supporters suffer even though we didn't have a bad game," Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said after the victory. "I am a coach for moments like these. What we showed today goes beyond simply going through. We would have been eliminated if we hadn't fought."
Although Argentina found themselves two goals down and tension gripped the stadium, Scaloni insisted he remained confident that his side could turn the game around.
"You feel concerned when you are not in control, but today we were," he said. "I saw the game going our way as we created chances."
Argentina was pushed to extra time by tournament debutant Cabo Verde in the round of 32 before securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory, as an own goal in the 111th minute proved decisive after the African side produced a spirited display. Egypt, meanwhile, edged past Australia 4-2 on penalties to reach the round of 16 after the teams were locked at 1-1 following extra time.
Egypt took the game to the defending champion from the opening whistle, showing little fear as the two sides were evenly matched in terms of possession.
In the 15th minute, a defensive lapse in Argentina's backline allowed Egypt defender Yasser Ibrahim to head home the opener from a cross.
In the 19th minute, Nicolas Tagliafico was brought down inside the box to win a penalty. Argentina captain Lionel Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his effort was saved by Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir.
Roared on by its fans, Argentina intensified its attacking pressure and pushed forward in search of an equalizer. In the 30th minute, Messi's free kick rattled the post before Julian Alvarez's close-range effort was denied by Shoubir nine minutes later.
After the restart, the situation went from bad to worse for Argentina. Despite launching wave after wave of attacks, it struggled to break down Egypt's resolute defense, while Egypt continued to threaten Argentina's goal on the counterattack.
In the 58th minute, Egypt thought it had doubled its lead through a counterattack, but VAR ruled the goal out after Marwan Attia was found to have committed a foul in the build-up.
Egypt's game plan finally paid off as forward Mostafa Zico struck on the counterattack to double its advantage and make it 2-0 in the 67th minute.
With its back against the wall, Argentina launched a furious comeback, with Cristian Romero pulling one back with a powerful header to give his side hope. Messi then leveled the score by firing home from a goalmouth scramble inside the box.
In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez struck on the counterattack to seal a remarkable comeback victory for Argentina.
Messi was thrown into the air by his teammates in celebration after netting his 21st World Cup goal and eighth of this tournament to edge back in front of the battle for the Golden Boot.
Scaloni praised Messi's character and determination after another influential performance, describing the veteran forward as an example for everyone in the squad. "Messi is a role model for all the players," he said. "He missed a penalty, but he still asks for the ball and goes on and on."
Argentina will take on the winner of the match between Switzerland and Colombia.
