LUSAIL: Lionel Messi hailed Argentina’s coaching staff for masterminding his team’s 3-0 victory over Croatia in their FIFA World Cup semifinal here on Wednesday. Messi scored from the penalty spot and gave the assist for Julian Alvarez’s second goal as Argentina set up a berth in Sunday’s final against either Morocco or defending champions France. “This group is very intelligent and knows how to suffer both with and without the ball,” Messi told reporters. “Our coaching staff is great, they pay attention to every little thing.” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni reverted to a 4-4-2 formation after adopting a 5-3-2 shape for the quarterfinal against the Netherlands, which the Albiceleste won on penalties. The change allowed Argentina to thwart Croatia’s threat in midfield. While the 2018 runners-up controlled a 61% share of possession, they were suffocated for space and, when dispossessed, left large gaps for Argentina to exploit. “They let us know about every detail and that helps us to know what to do in all situations,” Messi said. “We know the game would be played that way. We knew they would have a lot of possession. But we also knew that it would play to our advantage because they were a little untidy and left us with lots of space.” Messi’s strike saw him surpass Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina’s leading World Cup scorer with 11 goals. In this tournament, he has five goals and three assists as he vies for the Golden Boot award with France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has five goals and two assists. “I’m feeling well and strong in every match,” Messi said. “Personally, I’ve felt happy at this World Cup and thankfully, I’ve been able to help the team.” Messi said Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening match served as a wake-up call to the team. “It was a big blow,” the Paris Saint-Germain forward said. “We had a 36-game unbeaten run and nobody thought we’d lose that match. It was an acid test and since then we’ve played five finals. Thankfully we’ve been able to win all five. Losing that first game actually helped us to grow.” A delighted Lionel Messi hailed his side’s strength of character after he starred in Tuesday’s 3-0 World Cup semi-final win over Croatia. Messi scored the opener from the penalty spot and then had a hand in two goals scored by Julian Alvarez at Lusail Stadium as Argentina eased through to Sunday’s final where they will face either France or Morocco. The victory continued a remarkable turnaround from Lionel Scaloni’s team after they started their campaign in Qatar with a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia. “I think the first match was a very tough blow for us because we had been 36 games unbeaten,” said Messi, who spoke to reporters after being named man of the match. “To start in that way when nobody expected us to lose was a real test for this group of players. But we showed how strong we are. “What we have done since then was really difficult because every game has been a final. “We have played five finals, won them all, and let’s hope we win the next one.” Messi added: “This group has strength of character but is also so intelligent. We have a team that is capable of reading games, that knows how to suffer when they have to suffer. We have a great coaching staff who don’t leave anything to chance. That helps because it means we always know what we need to do.” Argentina’s captain is now the joint-top scorer at the tournament with five goals as he looks to win the World Cup for the first time in his glittering career at the age of 35. His goal that opened the scoring against Croatia was his 11th World Cup goal, allowing him to equal the Argentine record held by Gabriel Batistuta. “I am really enjoying myself. Luckily I feel good and strong going into every game,” he said. “In the last game we were taken to extra time and today we were tired but we seem to find strength where we have none.”