Argentina’s World Cup-winning side of 1986 are often unfairly described as Diego Maradona and 10 mediocre team‑mates, and the 2014 version may be given a similar label. On the basis of this display, it is Lionel Messi and little else. Switzerland caused Argentina problems simply because they were organised, disciplined and boasted a clear gameplan – something you cannot say about Alejandro Sabella’s side.

Sergio Agüero’s injury meant Ezequiel Lavezzi came into the side on the right, and Argentina switched to a 4-4-1-1 system – Lavezzi and Ángel di María played as conventional wingers, sometimes switching flanks but rarely moving inside. More than ever, there was great responsibility upon Messi to dictate the game from the classic No10 role.

Messi was Argentina’s liveliest player throughout, with his side immediately looking for him, firing forward balls into his feet between the lines. Switzerland’s defensive tactics were simple but effective – get two men around him quickly. Gökhan Inler and Valon Behrami – the Swiss midfield duo who have reportedly fallen out and stopped talking, yet maintain a great relationship because they play together each week for Napoli – acted as a fearsome destroyer duo. Messi received the ball to feet and jinked past one man but rarely the second.

The Swiss approach was simple: close down Lionel Messi in groups, then transfer the ball to the front two as quickly as possible. Photograph: Graphic Photograph: Graphic

Everything good about Argentina came from Messi. By half-time there was a decent cross from the left flank and some stereotypical one-twos, but he was constantly let down by his team‑mates’ underperformance. Di María, the second most important Argentina player in this system, was eventually the hero but constantly frustrated with his final pass. A more intelligent side would have exploited the fact that Switzerland’s two central midfielders were always closing down Messi, and pushed another player between the lines, but there was no cohesive movement.

Switzerland played on the counterattack and concentrated on getting Josip Drmic and Xherdan Shaqiri to combine. They had linked repeatedly in the 3-0 won over Honduras, and produced the game’s clearest chance with a staggeringly simple move – a long ball out of defence into Drmic, who played a wall pass with Shaqiri and found himself one-on-one with Sergio Romero. The Argentina goalkeeper is clearly no Manuel Neuer, who showed such great sweeping in Germany’s 2-1 extra-time victory over Algeria the previous evening, remaining in no-man’s land and was fortunate Drmic produced a tame chip into his arms. Argentina were opened up incredibly easily.

Argentina lacked exciting alternatives from the bench: Rodrigo Palacio replacing Lavezzi was simply one hard-working, willing runner replacing another. There was no change of shape, no attempt to raise the tempo of the game.

Sabella was still highly dependent upon Messi finding space in the centre of the pitch – he started a move that led to a Marcos Rojo shot, played a good chip into Palacio, and had a long-distance effort himself. Eventually he teed up Di María for the late winner, too.

Messi maintained his status alongside James Rodríguez and Arjen Robben as one of the tournament’s best players but Argentina appear well short of Colombia and Holland as intelligent, cohesive teams.