Cristian Romero right to make Gary Neville eat his words after Argentina vs England scenes
Cristian Romero had the last laugh over Gary Neville as the Tottenham Hotspur defender helped Argentina reach the World Cup final.
The Spurs centre-back was influential as the defending champions fought back to defeat England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute opener had England dreaming of reaching Sunday's showpiece.
But late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez saw Lionel Scaloni's men book a date with Spain on Sunday.
In the pre-match build-up, Romero had been the subject of discussion from Neville on the Stick to Football podcast.
And the 28-year-old could not resist taking a sly dig back at the former Manchester United defender.
What did Gary Neville say about Cristian Romero?
Tottenham News has been covering the performance of Tottenham defender Romero throughout Argentina's World Cup run.
The Spurs skipper, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, has been in good form for his country.
But Neville noted Romero and his playing partner Lisando Martinez of Man United as a potential weak spot for England to target.
He said on Stick to Football: "They're the best-worst center-back pairing in the world. Between the two of them, they give away a goal per game."
Speaking to DSports after Argentina's comeback win, Romero couldn't help but aim a dig back.
He said: "Lisandro and me, we were on fire before the game because of Gary Neville.
“In England they love to speak before. We send him a big hug. The only thing that I hope for is that when I retire, I am not that stupid. Hopefully I won't criticise a player or anyone."
Media reaction and stats prove Romero was right to hit back
Romero is facing an uncertain future at Spurs, but he gave a timely reminder of his quality against England.
The media in Argentina were full of praise for how her performed against Thomas Tuchel's men.
TYC Sports scored him an 8/10, and wrote: "His best work was in tackling rather than playing the ball out from the back.
"He was always excellent at anticipating plays, in the air, tracking back, and recovering possession.
"In the second half, he anchored the team from his position, well-organized, with that winning mentality that inspires and motivates everyone. When it came to defending, he delivered. The best center-back of the World Cup."
La Pagina Millonaria went with a 7/10, opining: "He was caught out by Spence in what turned out to be a dangerous attack, but he was generally solid. When playing out from the back, he always looked to play the ball out from the back and was accurate.
TN also went with a 7/10 and merely added: "An impressive attitude, as usual."
Romero was well worthy of the praise as well. He was influential in limiting England's attacks, and was a colossus whenever anything came near him.
Indeed, in total he made 17 defensive contributions to Argentina's cause, actions which were particularly influential in help them win the ball back late on to apply relentless pressure on England.
He won three out of four tackles he attempted, made two interceptions, and finished with an extremely impressive 10 clearances.
Moreover, he blocked one shot, made four four recoveries, won six of nine ground duels, and was successful in his solitary aerial duel.
In possession, he had completed 51 of 53 attempted passess (96 per cent success rate), including finding a team-mate with each of 16 he attempted in the opposition half.
He made Nevill eat his words, and honestly you simply cannot blame him for biting back. His performance backed him up.