The only challenge on a night when a resurgent Argentina might have made things so difficult for themselves was the math beneath them and seeing this Poland team.
A team rarely advances to the round of 16 in such an unattractive manner.
Even though Lionel Messi missed a penalty, Poland was easily defeated, relying on a 2-0 loss to advance by the flimsiest of margins.
Up until a late Saudi Arabia goal against Mexico, when second place was all but decided by yellow cards, it was the epitome of anti-football.
What a waste of Robert Lewandowski, but he will still recognize the full significance of this loss. He is still competing in the World Cup. Also, Messi is. In the end, this World Cup match was never even close to being his last.
Instead, Argentina's victory in the group was really a formality that might yet play a role in bringing home the championship. That can come out as being as histrionically reactionary as this Argentina team itself, but there was unquestionably a change.
Their very path has undergone a significant alteration as well. As a result of this triumph, Argentina will play Australia in a game that is comparably more forgiving than a thrilling last-16 rematch with France. They won't have any of the nerves we saw before this win going into that, for sure. Instead, it appeared as though Messi's goal against Mexico rejuvenated them and renewed their resolve.
It was most evident in Nahuel Molina's driven ball that set up Alexis Mac Allister for the game's first goal and in Julian Alvarez's incredible touch-and-finish that sealed the victory. Messi was in charge throughout, even after what might have been yet another crucial career-defining penalty miss.
Instead, Poland appeared anxious and, to be blunt, pitiful in this situation, and they were unable to get even close to Argentina's goal. Instead, they gathered the entire squad around Wojciech Szczesny's goal, excluding Robert Lewandowski, and essentially hoped for the best.
The striker was supposed to receive the ball at one point, but Nicolas Otamendi abrasively cleared it because Lewandowski had no one to pass it to.
It meant that Argentina simply kept coming and that the game's momentum was constantly in their favor. That would ultimately lead to incidents and breakthroughs.
After Szczesny was defeated, Alvarez's shot was blocked. Oscar De Paul nearly made a save. The most contentious part of the game occurred next, when Messi was ruled to have been struck by the goalkeeper as he approached a cross.
It simply didn't seem like a punishment. However, it appeared to be the stage being prepared for an event that was obvious to everyone in the stadium.
After all, everyone would have previously seen it. Messi struck the ball mid-height and to the goalkeeper's left, exactly how he always does in these oddly frequent large penalty misses. Szczesny prepared a powerful hand and knew which direction he was headed.
You could say that justice was served, which was almost highlighted by how quickly things returned to normal. The similar trend was followed throughout the entire game. Even Messi appeared unconcerned.
It wasn't going to be one of those occasions where Argentina focused on it and made them feel like everything was against them.
Molina drove one of those balls in, and Mac Allister got enough on it to get it past Szczesny, so they just got on with it.
As things go on, Mac Allister was able to deliver a goal and Julian Alvarez also added to the tally and that's how the Argentines got their victory over Poland.
In conclusion, people were so amazed on how Argentina showed the world that Saudi Arabia scoring them wasn't a show of downgrade and they proved themselves by starting from the bottom of the group table and finishing first. Now Argentina are to face Australia in their round of 16 match.