Messi combines neatly with Tevez and finishes the move with a shot from the edge of the box, but Osorio steps in to block the effort. It’s an early warning of his threat around the Mexican area.

Drifting inside from the right, Messi tries an audacious chip over goalkeeper Pérez even though he’s still on his line, and the attempt comes to nothing. The idea was brilliant but the execution just fell short.

On a swift Argentine break, Messi slides a perfectly weighted pass through for Tevez, whose first effort is saved; as Messi nudges the loose ball toward goal, Tevez follows up with a header to score. Messi’s incisive through ball sparks the opening goal.

Messi threads a pass into Tevez, who shifts it wide to Maxi Rodríguez for a cross that Higuaín heads wide from close range with Osorio contesting. The move, orchestrated by Messi, should have ended in another Argentine goal.

Breaking forward after the interval, Messi tries to drive past Márquez but the Mexican captain halts him twice in quick succession. It’s a snapshot of how tightly Mexico are marking him.

Messi embarks on another jinking run through the Mexican half, but once again Márquez steps in to stop his progress and launch a counter the other way. His dribbling repeatedly draws multiple defenders.

Deep in stoppage time, Messi slaloms into the box through a crowd of green shirts and still manages to get a powerful shot away, forcing Pérez into a sharp save. It’s a brilliant solo run that comes agonizingly close to a late goal.