- Both Emi Martínez and Lucas Digne secured clean sheets for their respective nations in the World Cup
- Argentina beat Austria 2-0, while France defeated Iraq 3-0
- Both sides have now qualified for the Round of 32
Aston Villa duo Emi Martínez and Lucas Digne both enjoyed successful outings at the World Cup on Monday night, securing identical clean sheets as Argentina and France marched on in their respective group-stage fixtures. Martínez made his second appearance of the tournament, whilst Digne made his first.
Emi Martínez adds another clean sheet to his tally
In Arlington, Texas, Martínez guarded the net as Argentina secured a 2-0 victory against Austria. The win secured the tournament holders’ qualification into the Round of 32 knockouts with a game to spare. While Lionel Messi stole the headlines by scoring both goals to become the all-time leading scorer in Men’s World Cup history, Martínez played a vital role in preserving the advantage.
Austria rarely managed to breach the disciplined Argentine backline, but they grew dangerous early in the second half. Martínez’s standout moment arrived when Cristian Romero conceded a foul right on the edge of the penalty area.
Austrian captain Marcel Sabitzer stepped up, striking a curling, dangerous free-kick. Reading the flight perfectly, the Villa No 1 reacted sharply to palm the goal-bound effort to safety, guaranteeing the clean sheet. It becomes his 43rd clean sheet in 61 caps, moving him ever closer to Sergio Romero’s record of 47.
Lucas Digne makes his first appearance at the World Cup
Later in the evening, Digne lined up for France at the Philadelphia Stadium, playing the full 90 minutes in a commanding 3-0 win over Iraq. The fixture became the first match of the World Cup to suffer a significant weather delay, with severe thunderstorms pausing the restart at halftime.
Despite the chaotic weather disruption, Digne put on a highly assured, professional performance at left-back. Whilst his crossing certainly wasn’t his best, with only 1/6 crosses complete, he was rather reliable in possession, completing 52/60 passes.
He consistently pressed forward to join the attack, linking up nicely with Bradley Barcola. Defensively, the veteran full-back was completely untroubled by the Iraqi wingers, registering two clearances and four recoveries to snuff out any danger.
When do they play next?
For Martínez and Argentina, they remain in Texas to play Jordan on Sunday 28th June at 3:00 am UK time, meanwhile Digne and France travel to the Boston Stadium to take on Norway on Friday 26th June at 8:00 pm UK time.
