The second game in the group phase of the 2008 Beijing Olympic football tournament saw Argentina get a 1-0 win over Australia at the Shanghai stadium and secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The Argentinians had a hard time creating chances throughout the entire game as they clashed against a well organized and defensive-minded Australian team. Lionel Messi and Juan Román Riquelme, Argentina’s two most creative players, were closely marked and struggled to find space. After the break, the Southamerican side progressively started to get closer to scoring as second-half substitute Di Maria provided them with more spark and the Australian defenders started to look tired. Argentina’s goal eventually came fourteen minutes from time, when a brilliant collective play set up by Riquelme, Messi and Di Maria was finished by Lavezzi with a precise right-foot touch to beat the Australian keeper.

Having already booked a place in the knock-out phase of the tournament, Argentina will face Serbia in the last game of the group stage on Wednesday.