Argentina's press goes ballistic after 6-1 thrashing by Spain
"Disaster in Madrid", "embarrassment of the decade" and "historic beating" were just some of the responses to Tuesday's drubbing.
Argentina were, unsurprisingly, roundly castigated by the country's media after Jorge Sampaoli's men were thrashed by Spain in Tuesday's international friendly in Madrid. Isco hit a hat-trick for La Roja as a visiting side missing the injured Lionel Messi suffered a record-equalling 6-1 defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano - a humbling that left their preparations for this summer's World Cup in disarray.
The reaction in Argentina:
Olé: "We need three Messis"
"A historic beating. With Messi sitting in the stands, an Argentina side showing a degree of fragility rarely previously witnessed were on the end of a tremendous thrashing: Isco grabbed a hat-trick in a 6-1 defeat that strikes a massive blow [to the Argentinians]; the kind that takes some getting over. Conceding six goals just isn't normal - the extent to which Argentina were taken to the cleaners by Spain was something to behold. With three months to go until the World Cup, this is a thrashing that hits Argentina hard."
Clarín: "Disaster in Madrid"
"Spain crushed Argentina in a drubbing that will go down in history. The Spaniards have everything that Jorge Sampaoli wants his Argentina to have; they brought to bear a game plan based on movement and combination, showing an authority in the way they play their football that proved simply devastating."
TyC Sports: "Embarrassment of the decade"
"It [suffering a memorable thrashing every decade] appears to have become a habit for Argentina: there was the 5-0 defeat to Colombia in the 90s, the 6-1 loss to Bolivia in the noughties, and now this 6-1 against Spain, in which a side that are past masters at chopping and changing were led a merry dance by a team that has followed a clearly defined style throughout this century."
La Nación: "A slap in the face"
"A true humbling, with under three months left until the long-awaited event. A cold, hard demonstration of a problem as colossal as Russia, the country that Argentina aim to conquer: without Messi, the team isn't good enough against the major sides. They may battle, get stuck in, put their foot in, push; but it's unlikely you'll see them play good football, that you'll see them seriously compete against those who carry the tag of candidates to win the World Cup."