I dreamed it, I swear Martinez

Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez said he had dreamed of scoring the winning goal after helping his side secure a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England here at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, booking the reigning champions a place in their second consecutive FIFA World Cup final.

The reigning champions looked set for heartbreak after Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the second half, but Argentina responded through Enzo Fernandez before Martinez headed home a stoppage-time winner from Lionel Messi’s superb cross.

The victory sends Lionel Scaloni’s men into a second consecutive World Cup final, where they will meet Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as they bid to lift a fourth world title.

Martinez, who came off the bench to make a decisive impact, admitted he had been confident he would find the net even before entering the pitch.
“I dreamed it, I swear,” Martinez said.

“I told Alexis Mac Allister that I was going to score. I even told Facundo Medina on the bench that I would come on and win the match. It happened exactly like that, and thankfully it fell to me.”

The striker also praised Fernandez for his crucial equaliser before highlighting Argentina’s composure during the closing stages of the semi-final.

“Enzo scored a fantastic goal, but this team keeps showing what it’s made of,” he said.

“They pressed us for about 60 minutes, but after that they had nothing left. England dropped deeper, which allowed us to control possession with more calm. We stretched the pitch, moved the ball well and eventually found the two goals.”