Argentina can breathe again. Nigeria have blown World Cup Group D wide open in the race for second spot behind Croatia, and set up a tantalising showdown between Gernot Rohr's side and the South Americans on matchday three.
It was fitting that Nigeria, on Russian soil, managed what England could not in France in 2016: namely, beat Iceland. It was fitting because it was Ahmed Musa who inspired them. The forward never settled at Leicester City, never showed enough of his qualities to a Premier League audience, but Volgograd Arena witnessed the real deal, the man who has excelled at CSKA Moscow. At half-time, it looked as though the entertaining 2018 finals, still without a goalless draw, was about to be hauled down into the doldrums.
Nigeria became the first team since South Korea four years ago to fail to register a shot in the first half of a World Cup match. They tried 10 crosses and completed none of them. Within 18 minutes, Iceland matched the number of efforts on target they managed in the whole game against Argentina: a whole two of them. The neutrals must thank Rohr for whatever he said at half-time. After only 14 seconds of the second half, Nigeria had Iceland looking rattled, with Oghenekaro Etebo testing Hannes Halldorsson after a swift break. Three minutes later, they had the breakthrough: Victor Moses' cross was not the best and Musa's first touch looked a little fortuitous, but his finish was emphatic.
It forced Iceland to throw off the shackles and suddenly we had some entertainment. It also meant that famous defensive rigidity of theirs had to be disregarded, a glimmer of a soft underbelly shown. Musa took full advantage 15 minutes from the end, dancing past defenders and goalkeeper before picking his spot.