The England legend was full of praise for Javier Mascherano after Argentina’s win over the Netherlands.
Mascherano and his team-mates knocked Louis van Gaal’s side out of the World Cup on penalties, with their semi-final finishing goalless after 120 minutes.
A cagey affair, the clash might not have impressed many neutrals, though it was the perfect stage for a defensive midfielder like Mascherano to shine.
The Barcelona man, formerly of Liverpool before his €24m move in 2010, was the recipient of plenty of praise on Twitter, with Gary Lineker particularly keen to single him out.
On a night when many were expecting Lionel Messi or Arjen Robben to steal the show, 30-year-old Mascherano was one of the best players on the pitch.
The Argentine had enjoyed a strong World Cup showing in the lead up to the last four – and Opta stats show that Lineker wasn’t wrong to offer Mascherano his compliments.
| Team | Pos | Tackles Won | Interceptions Won | Accurate Passes | Pass Accuracy (%) | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Mascherano | Argentina | MF | 4 | 3 | 74 | 84.09 | 1 | 120 |
Against the Dutch, the ex-Liverpool midfielder won four tackles, three interceptions and completed 84% of his passes.
But, while that passing accuracy may not be the most impressive, the amount of accurate passes he completed (74) was the second-highest total of anyone across both World Cup semi-finals.
Next up for Mascherano and his countrymen are Germany in the final – the side that just thumped hosts Brazil 7-1 in the last four. No pressure, Javier…
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