1 of 5 | Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Egypt to tie the score 2-2 in the second half of a Round of 16 World Cup match Tuesday at Atlanta Stadium. Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
July 7 (UPI) -- Lionel Messi helped Argentina avoid a major upset, scoring one of three second-half goals to rally past Egypt on Tuesday in the World Cup's Round of 16.
The defending champions trailed 2-0 through nearly 79 minutes of the 3-2 triumph in Atlanta. Messi assisted defender Christian Romero for the Argentines' first goal and smashed in a half-volley equalizer less than five minutes later.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez netted the game winner in the 92nd minute to effectively punch the Argentines' ticket to the quarterfinals, where they will take on Colombia or Switzerland.
The second-ranked Argentines outshot No. 24 Egypt 19-5 and held a 64% to 36% edge in possession, but required late heroics to stave off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the World Cup's knockout stage.
