Szczesny grabs chance to 'show off' penalty-saving skills to deny Messi

DOHA : After saving a penalty against Saudi Arabia, Poland's goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny said he wanted to "face the best" at the World Cup - and true to his word, he was in the limelight again when he denied none other than Argentina's Lionel Messi from the spot.

The Juventus stopper has forged a reputation as one of Europe's toughest goalkeepers to beat from 12 yards and proved once again how crucial he is to Poland's hopes after they qualified for the last 16.

Poland may have ultimately lost 2-0 to qualify in second place in Group C, but not before Szczesny showed he was not one to be deterred on the big stage by a seven-times Ballon d'Or winner and a blue-white sea of Argentina fans behind him.

In doing so, Szczesny became the first goalkeeper to save two penalties at a World Cup tournament since American Brad Friedel in 2002 and only the third in all, along with compatriot Jan Tomaszewski who first achieved the feat in 1974.

The penalty awarded to Messi was questionable, with Szczesny's outstretched hand brushing the Paris St Germain forward's face after he had headed a cross wide, but the referee saw it as a foul after a VAR check.

"I immediately told the referee that I touched his face with my hand, but I only ran over the side of his face. I told him that the contact was there, but in my opinion there was no penalty," Szczesny told TVP Sport.

"The referee decided otherwise and that's good - I was able to show off.

"On some penalties Leo looks at the goalkeeper and on some he hits hard. I knew that if he was going to hit hard, it was more to my left. I saw that he didn't stop, so I went (left), I sensed it and I saved. I'm happy."

Since making his senior club debut in 2009, the 32-year-old has saved 26 penalties in his