Messi turned Argentina's opener into his own highlight reel. Three goals, 19 fantasy points, 38 if you captained him. That is the kind of score you screenshot and leave alone.
Algeria had spells where they moved the ball well and got shots away, but they never had the player who could end the match in three touches. Argentina did. That was the difference.
Here are the Demon Notes from Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Messi's haul, the cheap support acts and what it means before MD2.
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
- Goals: Messi x3
- Assists: Rodrigo De Paul, Nico Gonzalez
- Top fantasy points: Messi 19
- Captain score: Messi 38
- Next Argentina fixture: Austria in MD2
Team Stats
ArgentinaAlgeria
3Goals0
10Shots total7
3Messi goals0
2Assists0
1Clean sheet0
Player Stats
| Player | Price | Fantasy | Mins | Output | Match notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | £10.0m | 19 pts | 80 | 3 goals | 4 shots on target, 30 passes |
| Rodrigo De Paul | £5.9m | Assist | 90 | 1 assist | 46 passes |
| Nico Gonzalez | £5.6m | Assist | 36 | 1 assist | Set up Messi's third |
| Emiliano Martinez | £5.0m | Clean sheet | 90 | 0 conceded | Argentina banked the shutout |
| Fares Chaibi | - | - | 90 | 2 shots | 52 passes for Algeria |
Demon Notes
- Messi (£10.0m) smashed it. Three goals, 19 points, 38 as captain. If you have that score, stick. Do not turn a monster haul into a guessing game.
- He scored in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, then came off on 80. That is perfect fantasy damage: haul secured, minutes managed, no need for extra drama.
- The role is still ridiculous. Penalties, free kicks, corners and open-play shots. Expensive, yes, but Argentina are built to keep putting him close to the best chances.
- De Paul (£5.9m) played the full match and got the first assist. Useful, busy, and safe for minutes, but he is not suddenly a must-buy. He is a squad-balance pick if you need money elsewhere.
- Nico Gonzalez (£5.6m) made an impact off the bench and set up Messi's third. Nice cameo, but minutes come first. He only becomes a proper option if he gets into the XI.
- Lautaro Martinez started and Julian Alvarez came on after 55 minutes, so that striker spot still needs watching. Argentina winning well does not mean every attacker is a transfer target.
- Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m) and the Argentina defence banked the clean sheet. Not glamorous, but Austria and Jordan next means the back line still has fantasy value.
- Algeria were competitive enough in possession, but they did not carry enough threat in the box. Chaibi was busy, but this was not the match that makes you buy an Algeria attacker.
MD2 Fantasy Takeaway
Argentina face Austria next, then Jordan. Messi is not a cute differential. He is the captaincy benchmark now.
If you captained him, Demon says stick. If you missed him, the question is simple: can you get there without wrecking the rest of your squad?