Former Argentina and Man City star Pablo Zabaleta has defended Lionel Messi following his uninspiring performance against Saudi Arabia that saw the World Cup favourites suffer a shock 2-1 loss in their opening game.
Argentina couldn't have foretold a more disastrous start to the tournament after being outclassed during the defeat that saw minnows Saudia Arabia comeback to claim a historic upset.
Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi was unable to drag his side to what should have been a favourable opening fixture that many expected Argentina to not only win, but also dominate.