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Goals from Rodrigo De Paul, Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi helped Argentina secure a convincing 3-0 victory over Ecuador in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Copa America.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni made no fewer than eight changes to the side that saw off Bolivia in their final group stage fixture. Captain Lionel Messi was just one of three players who retained their spot in the starting lineup.
Lautaro Martinez had the first two chances of the game but saw his goal-bound shots blocked by the opposition defense.
The deadlock was broken in the 40th minute when Messi's excellent squared ball found Rodrigo De Paul unmarked. The Udinese man made no mistake from inside six yards.
Enner Valencia had an excellent opportunity to equalize for Ecuador but sent his header wide from close range on the stroke of halftime.
The Fenerbahce man forced Emiliano Martinez into a fine save in the 58th minute, but that was as good as it got for the Ecuadorians in front of goal.
Two goals in the dying minutes of the game helped Argentina secure the victory. Piero Hincapie was dispossessed off the ball by Angel di Maria, while Lionel Messi teed up Lautaro Martinez to score his second goal of the tournament.
Hincapie's night went from bad to worse when he was sent off for a challenge on Di Maria. The referee initially awarded a penalty and a yellow card. However, he upgraded the yellow card to a red while changing the call to a freekick after consultations with the VAR.
Messi scored from a direct free-kick right on the edge of the area. The technique needed to curl the ball over the wall and dip it in time when so close to the goal underlined his brilliance.
The goal was his fourth in the tournament and helped Argentina secure their spot in the semifinals.
La Albiceleste will now take on Colombia - who needed penalties to see off Uruguay in the other quarterfinal - for a place in the semi-final.
Here is how each Argentina player fared in the game.
Argentina player ratings against Ecuador
Emiliano Martinez - 7/10
The Argentina goalkeeper was rarely tested on what was a comfortable victory for his nation. He, however, made a great save in the second half to deny Valencia.
Marcos Acuna - 6.5/10
The Sevilla man contributed to the attack with his runs forward. He also made sure Angel Mena did not pose too much of a threat down Ecuador's right flank.
Nicolas Otamendi - 6/10
Argentina's dominance meant that Nicolas Otamendi was not called into action too often. He received a yellow card for complaining to the referee in first-half injury time.
German Pezzella - 7/10
The Fiorentina man stopped Ecuador's attacks on the few occasions they ventured forward with his positioning.
Nahuel Molina - 6/10
Nahuel Molina did not offer much depth in attack but was more defensively astute.
Giovani Lo Celso - 6.5/10
Giovani Lo Celso put in another energetic performance. He helped Argentina control proceedings before his departure in the 70th minute.
Leandro Paredes - 6.5/10
The PSG man dictated the tempo of the game and shielded the defense properly. However, his limited attacking contributions saw him replaced by Guido Rodriguez in the 70th minute as Argentina sought a more convincing lead.
Rodrigo De Paul - 8/10
The Udinese man broke the deadlock five minutes before halftime. His all-round performance helped boost his stock as several potential suitors watched on.
Nicolas Gonzalez - 6/10
Nicolas Gonzalez did not have as much impact as his colleagues in attack. The Fiorentina man was replaced by Nicolas Tagliafico in the 83rd minute.
Lautaro Martinez - 7.5/10
Lautaro Martinez showed great anticipation to take advantage of Messi's pass in the build-up to the second goal. His burgeoning relationship with his skipper could be the key to Argentina returning to the summit of the game.
Lionel Messi - 10/10
The Argentina skipper might be facing an uncertain future at club level, but he put all of that behind him to inspire his nation to another convincing victory.
The 34-year-old had a hand in all three goals and is the runaway leader in the race for the Golden Boot.
Also Read: Seven European clubs to win a treble
Substitutes
Angel di Maria - 7.5/10
The PSG forward came on with 20 minutes to go and had an eventful spell on the field. He robbed Hincapie off the ball in the lead-up to the second goal and was fouled by the same player for the free-kick that put Argentina 3-0 ahead.
Guido Rodriguez - 6/10
Guido Rodriguez replaced Leandro Paredes in the 70th minute, and his introduction helped Argentina retain control in midfield.
Nicolas Tagliafico - 6/10
Nicolas Tagliafico was on the field for seven minutes and helped add more pace down the left flank for Argentina.
Sergio Aguero - N/A
The Barcelona man came on in the dying embers of the game and barely had a kick of the ball.
Also Read: Six greatest players who never received an international cap
