Messi’s farewell: Benfica hit with Otamendi setback | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi was in the starting lineup and played the full 90 minutes in the Argentina – Venezuela match, which adds to the fatigue of Benfica's captain. In the match that marked Lionel Messi's farewell, Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed, 3-0, with a brace from the former Barcelona player and a goal from Lautaro Martínez.

At 39 minutes, Lionel Messi opened the scoring, assisted by Julián Álvarez. In the second half, Lautaro Martínez extended the lead in the Argentina – Venezuela match. To wrap things up, the now Inter Miami player closed the score at 3-0 and gave three more points to Nicolás Otamendi's team.

“There are so many emotions. I've experienced many things on this field. It's always a joy to play in Argentina with our people,” Lionel Messi said at the end of the Argentina – Venezuela match. For his national team, the 38-year-old magician has played 194 matches, scored 114 goals and made 61 assists, having won a World Cup and two Copa Americas, among other titles.

Argentina will be back on the field at 00:00 next Wednesday, September 10, against Ecuador, which is causing a lot of concern for Benfica's management. That's because the eagles host Santa Clara on September 12 (Friday), at 20:15, and it's very likely that Nicolás Otamendi will not be fit.

This season, only wearing the Benfica jersey, Nicolás Otamendi - valued at 1 million euros - has played eight matches: four in the Champions League, three in the Liga Portugal Betcic, and one in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. In the 720 minutes he was on the field, the Argentina international performed at a high level.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.