Line-up (4-4-1-1): Pumpido – Clausen, Ruggeri, Cuciuffo (Gorosito 55), Sensini – Basualdo, Batista, Burruchaga (Balbo h-t), Troglio – Maradona (c) – Caniggia. Unused subs: Islas, Monzón, Giusti

Argentina came into this their second meeting with rivals Uruguay in six days without their usual libero Brown. He’d most likely been axed thanks to a less impressive performance against the Brazilians, where his error had led directly to the hosts’ second goal. Ruggeri took over as the spare man at the back, while Cuciuffo started as a man-marker on Francescoli. However, as the latter often retracted quite deep, Cuciuffo would even take shifts marking Alzamendi, who was prone to working in quite central spaces from his original wide right position. Bilardo kept with the midfield diamond, in which Batista sat at the back, with Basualdo switching from the left against Brazil to right here, and with Troglio this time more across towards the left, while Burruchaga lent the two more forward players support from his attacking midfield position. He still couldn’t quite get it right in this tournament, the matchwinner from the 1986 World Cup final. Maradona once again sat just behind Caniggia, who was back in the starting eleven at Calderón’s expense. While Uruguay started the stronger, and drew saves from Pumpido, as well as striking the upright and firing just wide, the Argentinians slowly grew into the contest, and by the half hour mark, they were looking the more adept side. Maradona fired a free-kick just wide of the post. It was the Italy based superstar, rumoured to be on his way to Marseille for £16mill, who next stole the show, as he picked up a pass in the centre-circle and tried his luck on the bounce as he’d spotted Zeoli off his line. His 55 yard effort came back off the crossbar! It would’ve been an outrageous goal had it gone in. Only minutes later, he watched on in agony as Sensini’s back pass only found Sosa, who rounded Pumpido and slotted home for the opening goal. That’s how it remained until half-time. Bilardo made an attacking change at half time, when he took off the continually disappointing Burruchaga and brought on forward Abel Balbo, who had only joined the squad once they had qualified for the final series. With Balbo and Caniggia each their side of the more retracted Maradona, and with Troglio also pushing forward from midfield, as well as Clausen offering his support down the right, the Argentinians were pushing long and hard for an equalizer. Troglio drew an early save from Zeoli, and just after the hour mark, Argentina would lose their cool when they had a headed goal from Balbo disallowed due to offside in the situation prior to the ball reaching him. They protested furiously, and continued to perform heatedly for a few minutes. Next, they had Ruggeri sent off for the second time in less than a week against the same opposition; he had kicked Sosa to the ground. They had earlier brought Gorosito on in midfield for Cuciuffo, and now with Ruggeri off, they were short in numbers at the back. Not that they seemed to make defending a priority anyway. They had improved with ten men against Uruguay last time around, and kept searching for an equalizer. Batista and Sensini, at times aided by Clausen, remained at the back, and they created further opportunities, with Balbo a big threat. Just beyond the 70 minute mark, they should’ve had a penalty when Gutiérrez unceremoniously hacked Caniggia down inside the area, but the referee, incredibly, let it pass. By then, the Argentinians must have given up on him; they weren’t even protesting very hard. They had shown their indiscipline earlier, but battled bravely. They could do little, though, when Sosa decided to accelerate past Sensini and dink the ball over Pumpido for 2-0. That’s how it stayed. Argentina, despite all their efforts, were beaten again.