Argentina's goalkeeper feels fortunate to have avoided Yamal and his teammates.

Despite securing a 2-1 victory over Mauritania in the friendly match, the performance of the Argentine national team left fans feeling uneasy.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez candidly pointed out a series of issues facing the reigning world champions, while admitting the team is not yet ready for high-stakes matches like the Finalissima.

The match took place at La Bombonera in a rather subdued atmosphere due to unexpectedly low attendance. Despite being rated as superior, Argentina delivered an unconvincing performance against an opponent considered much weaker. by a significant margin.

Speaking after the match, Martínez could not hide his disappointment: “Thank God we are not playing the Finalissima yet. If we played like today, we would have lost. When wearing the national team jersey, we need to give more, we need to fight with all our hearts. What we lacked was intensity and determination.”

The comments from the goalkeeper nicknamed “Dibu” somewhat reflected the reality on the pitch. Argentina started quite well by taking an early lead thanks to a beautiful long-range shot by Enzo Fernández. Later, young talent Nico Paz continued to make his mark with a stunning free-kick, scoring his first goal for Albiceleste.

However, in the second half, Argentina unexpectedly lost control of the game. They played disjointedly, failed to maintain pressure, and allowed Mauritania to repeatedly create trouble. The African team, ranked only 133rd in the world, still generated several dangerous opportunities and managed to score a late consolation goal in the 94th minute by Jordan Lefort.

Not only Martínez, coach Lionel Scaloni also expressed dissatisfaction with his players' performance. The strategist admitted: “What we displayed was not positive. The team did not play well at any point during the match.”

Additionally, Martínez responded to criticism from Spanish media regarding Argentina frequently playing friendlies against weaker opponents. He emphasized: “It was the same before the World Cup. We always take it one match at a time. We have the experience of advancing deep, while they do not.”

Although it was only a friendly match, the performance against Mauritania clearly served as a wake-up call for Argentina. With major challenges ahead, especially prestigious matches like the Finalissima, Scaloni's team needs to quickly improve both their gameplay and competitive spirit.