Let’s leave it here. It’s been another extraordinary evening. The quality of football might not be that high, but you can’t complain about the drama. We were treated to another late show tonight, this time from Argentina, who snuck into the second round when Marcos Rojo broke Nigerian hearts. They’ll play France on Saturday, while Croatia will play Denmark on Sunday. Thanks for emailing and reading. I’ve been very biased. Bye.

What will Maradona have planned if Argentina make it to the final? Will he insist that he plays?

Nobody has explained why Javier Mascherano was allowed to play the entire second half looking like he’d gone 12 rounds with Anthony Joshua. Aren’t players supposed to get help when their face is covered in blood?

I still find it hard to see Argentina going much further. They are an extremely dysfunctional team and have weaknesses in so many areas. They were badly exposed against Croatia’s midfield and it’s asking a lot of Messi to inspire them in every game. Yet they have a bit of momentum now and they’ll have a chance against France, who are yet to convince. Can you trust France? On paper they should have far too much for this Argentina side, but they are so lethargic under Didier Deschamps. All that talent up front and they’ve scored three in three games. They could be in trouble if Messi turns up again.

“Why wasn’t that handball given a penalty?” Joy Muthipeedika asks.

It wasn’t intentional. Therefore it was not handball.

“I hope you realize, Jacob, that you have provided a biased narration,” Eduardo Rios says. “You know in what direction. This game, after all, was not very different from Germany vs. Sweden. Argentina dominated possession and quality of play. All players worked their hearts out. Nigeria scored from a penalty. The last gasp goal by Germany was heroic. You make it sound like the near-last gasp goal by Argentina was some sort of fluke. Please reread and reconsider. To the point: the chronicle of Uruguay’s win yesterday was titled “Uruguay beats 10-man Russia”. Funny…”

I’m a racist now.

Nigeria’s exit means Senegal are the last African team with a chance of reaching the second round. What we’ve seen in the past few days is how much history matters in the decisive moments. Just as Germany found the answer against Sweden, Nigeria were unable to resist their bogey team here. Five times they’ve met Argentina in the group stage of the World Cup; five times they’ve lost by the odd goal. Galling.

Croatia won Group D and will play Denmark on Sunday evening. Argentina will play France, who won Group C, on Saturday afternoon. That should be a cracker, even if both sides are extremely flawed. My bet is we’re going to read a lot of Pogba and Messi pieces in the next few days.

To be brutally honest, Nigeria blew it. They were overwhelmed in the first half, Ighalo had two good chances to win it in the second half and they weren’t under a lot of pressure from Argentina before Rojo’s winner. Because they’re underdogs, people will patronise Nigeria, which doesn’t really do them any favours.

In the BBC studio Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand both think that Nigeria should have had a penalty when Rojo headed the ball on to his arm. Gary Lineker reads them the laws of the game. “Never a penalty, not a chance,” Pablo Zabaleta says.

“Only 4 minutes added time after 2 VAR reviews, 2 goals and 6 subs in this half is a crime against football,” Brad McMillan says.

Imagine if anyone had spotted Mascherano’s bloody face.

In all the madness I managed to miss Diego Maradona celebrating Marcos Rojo’s goal by flipping the double bird at fans below him. What a character. He’s becoming quite tiresome, isn’t he?

Argentina’s players meet in a huddle. My, they’ve got away with one tonight. Croatia’s 2-1 win over Iceland in the other game means that Argentina will play France in the round of 16 on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s a match report.

Peep! Peep! Peep! Argentina have somehow reached the second round of the World Cup thanks to a winning goal from Marcos Rojo! Nigeria are devastated! The entire Argentina bench race on to the bench! Diego Maradona is ... happy.

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90 min+5: Armani, the debutant, runs out to beat Mikel to a loose ball in the Argentina area! That should be it!

90 min+4: Mascherano’s face is still covered in blood. Absurd. Messi is booked for timewasting. This is utter mayhem.

90 min+2: Messi almost breaks through, only for Idowu to challenge him. Messi hares after the wing-back and tackles him down by the corner flag. Alex Iwobi replaces Omeruo. Nwankwo is also on for Musa.

90 min+1: Mikel is booked for ... something. This is mad. There will be four minutes of added time. Meanwhile it’s Croatia 2-1 Iceland. It’s all down to Nigeria now. Can they find an equaliser? Or are they going to slump to their fifth World Cup defeat to Argentina?

89 min: Rojo scored the winner when Argentina beat Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup. That one wasn’t quite as significant.

88 min: The noise when that went in was extraordinary. St Petersburg feels like Buenos Aires now. But this isn’t over yet. A Nigeria goal changes everything. So does an Iceland goal. What drama!

Mercado pops up on the right and clips a cross into the middle. Who’s there? Lionel Messi Marcos Rojo! He’s chased forward in desperation and he volleys a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner! Argentina go wild! Diego Maradona goes wild! Argentina are going into the second round - unless Iceland score again against Croatia!

Argentina have their Toni Kroos moment!

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85 min: Banega launches another pass over the top to Meza, who takes it on his chest before crumpling to the floor. It was a fine challenge from Moses, though. The blood-stained Mascherano screams at the referee, who isn’t going to give a penalty.

84 min: Argentina are losing their rag. Banega, on a booking, gives away a free-kick with a poor challenge. Etebo curls it over the wall and into the side netting. Argentina are there for the taking now. They look clueless - they look like a team without a plan.

83 min: Nigeria probe down the left. They work the ball into the area and Ighalo takes advantage of shabby defending, powering past a weak challenge and moving towards Armani. He has Mikel in the middle, but Ighalo tries to stroke it into the far corner, only for Armani to save with his feet!

81 min: I’m not sure what’s more unbelievable: Higuain’s miss or the fact nobody’s spotted the BLOOD POURING DOWN MASCHERANO’S FACE.

80 min: Sergio Aguero replaces Tagliafico. How Argentina could do with one of Aguero’s late shows. They’re dominant at the moment. They attack down the left. Meza arrives on the overlap and pulls the ball into the middle. Higuain chokes and fires miles over the bar from 12 yards out! What a dire miss! Messi looks anguished.

79 min: Meza can’t control the ball in the Nigeria area. The chance disappears. Argentina attack again. Messi prods a pass to Tagliafico, who lashes a shot out for a throw.

78 min: It’s Croatia 1-1 Iceland in the other game in Group D! Gylfi Sigurdsson has equalised from the spot. If Argentina score and Iceland score, Iceland will go through.

77 min: After a long delay Cuneyt Cakir runs to the side of the pitch to check the monitor. He’s stuck to his decision: no penalty. It’s the right one - Rojo headed the ball on to his arm. It was rubbish defending but it wasn’t handball.

75 min: Pavon’s persistence works the ball to Mercado, whose cross is headed behind for a corner on the right. It leads to nothing. Nigeria break and Musa scoots down the left. His cross is defkected into the air. Rojo heads the ball on to his arm and it drops to Ighalo, who volleys wide. Nigeria want a penalty for handball! It’s gone to VAR. “Argentina’s substitutions are criminal,” Zafar Sobhan says. “No Aguero? No Dybala?”

73 min: Meza runs down the left. He keeps running. Keeps running. Then he kicks the ball behind for a goal-kick. Argentina are starting to look very bad. It’s down to Messi to save them, isn’t it?

72 min: Maxi Meza replaces Di Maria, who played like Louis van Gaal was on the touchline.

71 min: Musa produces a lovely piece of skill to beat Mercado on the left. He plays a pass inside to Igahlo, whose dummy sets up Ndidi for a shot that zips just over from 20 yards.

70 min: Di Maria is having a nightmare at the moment. He grimaces after sending another pass out for a throw with his back to goal. Higuain, meanwhile, isn’t involved.

69 min: Argentina haven’t created a chance since Nigeria’s goal. They are short of ideas.

68 min: I’m not sure why Mascherano hasn’t received medical attention. That gash on his cheek is enormous!

67 min: Mascherano, who’s had a difficult evening, has a massive cut on his face.

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66 min: Di Maria lets a pass run out of play, much to the annoyance of the Argentina fans. It’s not quite worked for him so far. “Mascherano needs to take himself off,” Ruth Purdue says.

64 min: Messi just took a free-kick while he was on the floor. This is a mess now. Banega’s booked for a late tackle on Ndidi.

62 min: Pavon’s first contribution is to fly down the right and slither a cross into the middle. Balogun turns it over the bar for a corner.

61 min: My question has been answered: Cristian Pavon replaces Enzo Perez.

60 min: Here, what’s going to happen when Argentina need to make a substitution? Will it be Sampaoli’s call? Will Aguero make it on?

59 min: But wait, here come Nigeria, with the electric Musa springing down the left. He stands up Mascherano and beats the veteran with ease. He can’t find Ighalo with his cutback, though.

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58 min: With Iceland losing to Croatia, at the moment this is a straight shootout between Argentina and Nigeria. Argentina are starting to see more of the ball, with Nigeria falling back a bit.

56 min: The Argentina fans aren’t giving up. They’ve raised the volume in an effort to get their team to respond to the setback of Nigeria’s equaliser. What Argentina really need, though, is Messi on the ball.