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Lionel Messi and Lionel Scaloni criticise the pitch after Argentina are held to a 1-1 draw in Thursday's World Cup qualifying clash against Venezuela.

Argentina star Lionel Messi blamed a "very difficult" pitch for Thursday's World Cup qualifying draw with Venezuela.

The clash with Venezuela was delayed due to the heavy rain in Maturin before the officials decided the pitch was fit to play.

However, the pitch still appeared to be waterlogged in areas, making it difficult for both teams to move the ball as normal.

Benfica's Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring in the tricky conditions, before Salomon Rondon netted a 65th-minute equaliser to ensure that the spoils were shared.

Messi left frustrated by "ugly" pitch

Messi was making his international return in the fixture after missing the September international window with an ankle injury that he sustained in the Copa America final.

The 37-year-old, who played the duration of the contest, insisted that the pitch conditions had a significant bearing on the result.

"It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches," Messi told TyC Sports after the 1-1 draw in Maturin.

"We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half, we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little is played."

Scaloni echoes Messi's complaints

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni explained after the match that he did not think the game should have gone ahead due to the pitch conditions.

Scaloni said: "It [the pitch] did not meet the minimal conditions for a football game. You couldn't play."

"We did what we had to do, but the conditions of the playing field were not for a match against two teams of this kind of level."

Despite being held to a draw, Argentina remain top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, having taken 19 points from nine matches.

However, the 2022 World Cup winners have now gone two games without a win after losing to Colombia in their final match of the September international window.

Argentina will have the opportunity to return to winning ways when they face Bolivia in Tuesday's clash in Buenos Aires. body check tags ::

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