Icardi and Dybala score as Mexico end 2018 with consecutive defeats to Argentina

Goals from Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala gave Argentina a 2-0 win over Mexico on Tuesday night.

La Albiceleste ran the show a few days earlier, beating this same Mexico team 2-0 in the city of Cordoba, and jumped to an immediate lead after Mauro Icardi combined with Erik Lamela to score his first ever senior-team goal for Argentina.

Argentina continued to dominate in the first half, but Mexico did record a chance in the 36th minute when a Victor Guzman free kick went sailing over the bar.

Mexico’s best chance after that didn’t happen until the second period after Henry Martin appeared to have been brought down inside the penalty area. Though the match officials failed to call a penalty, the play served as a wakeup call for El Tri, who came closest to leveling the score moments later. Jesus Gallardo capped of a bouncing cross inside the box by forcing Paulo Gazzaniga to a save from point-blank range.

But in the 86th minute, Argentina sealed the victory. A giveaway following a corner led to Giovanni Simeone finding Paulo Dybala inside the box to score the 2-0. Like Icardi, Dybala scored his first senior national team goal for Argentina.

Mexico’s defeat was the seventh straight game without a victory over Argentina and marked the end of Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti’s time as interim manager of El Tri. Gerardo “Tata” Martino is expected to be named manager of Mexico in the coming weeks.