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Argentina finished as Group A toppers in the Copa America after a commanding 4-1 win over Bolivia in their final group stage fixture. Lionel Messi scored twice and is now the top scorer in the competition with three goals.
The win helped La Albicelesete set up a meeting with winless Ecuador in the quarterfinals on Saturday (July 3). Given their current form, they will look to secure a safe passage to the semifinals.
Argentina had a bright start to the game and tested Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe in the third minute itself. Lampe had to make two saves to deny Angel Correa and Sergio Aguero in quick succession.
Just three minutes later, following a great attacking move, Messi's lobbed pass found Alejandro Gomez in the box. Gomez gave Argentina the lead with a thumping volley.
The Sevilla star was then fouled in the 31st minute in the box and earned a penalty for Messi. The Barcelona star coolly slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0.
Argentina played their best football so far in the 2021 Copa America and created plenty of chances. In the 42nd minute, Messi timed his run perfectly to meet Aguero's dinked pass to run beyond the Bolivia defence. He produced a first-time lobbed finish from the edge of the box to beat Lampe and score his second goal of the game.
With a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break, Argentina were in complete control of the game. The second half was sluggish at the start but in the 60th minute, Bolivia pulled a goal back. A good team move saw Erwin Saavedra take advantage of Lisandro Martinez's poor positioning to net for his side.
Lautaro Martinez replaced Aguero in the 63rd minute and just two minutes later was able to find the back of the net from a couple of yards out. His goal restored the three-goal advantage, which Argentina did not relinquish again.
As Lionel Messi & Co. conclude their group stage campaign in style, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Argentina remain unbeaten in the Copa America
Argentina finished the Copa America group stage campaign with 10 points, after a draw in the opening fixture and three straight wins. Only Brazil had the same number of points as them in the Group stage.
They improved a little bit in every game and recorded a dominant win in the final game before the knockout stages. This win ensured that Argentina remained undefeated in the competition and also extended their unbeaten run under manager Lionel Scaloni to 17 games.
Scaloni only needs to avoid one more loss to equal Marcelo Bielsa's record of 18 games unbeaten. However, he still has a long way to go to reach the record of 31 games.
#4 Argentina make a habit of scoring early goals
In football, scoring an early goal is one of the best ways to take control of a game. An early lead forces the opponents to work harder to restore parity, which the team with the advantage can exploit on the counter-attack.
Argentina have scored seven goals in the tournament so far and four of them have been scored before the 35th minute. As a matter of fact, they had not scored a single goal in the second half of matches before this game.
Their tactics have been clear and effective: to score an early goal and then defend the lead. Scaloni will hope the same strategy works in the crucial knockout stage fixtures as well.
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#3 Lionel Messi becomes Argentina's most-capped player
Lionel Messi was a joy to watch against Bolivia as he marked his landmark 148th appearance for Argentina with two goals and an assist. He has now overtaken Javier Mascherano's tally of 147 matches for the national team.
The way his team have been playing, it is possible that Messi will make his 150th appearance for the national team as well at the 2021 Copa America. The Barcelona forward, who recently turned 34, is already his nation's leading goalscorer with 75 goals. Messi is 21 ahead of Gabriel Batistuta in second place.
#2 Two Argentina players at the top of the goalscoring charts in Copa America
Lionel Messi and Alejandro Gomez combined for Argentina's first two goals. Messi produced a remarkable assist in the sixth minute for Gomez's opener, while Gomez drew the foul for a 33rd-minute penalty which Messi converted.
With this, both players moved up the goal-scoring charts in the competition and currently occupy the top two positions. Messi is the clear-cut leader with three goals while Gomez is joint-second with two goals alongside Neymar, Edinson Cavani and a few others.
Messi also leads the assist charts at the moment, alongside Neymar, helping create two goals for his teammates. This just goes to show that, while Messi has been great for Argentina, some of his teammates are also stepping up at the 2021 Copa America.
#1 Argentina's path to the semi-finals is an easy one with a game against Ecuador in the last eight
Argentina have drawn Ecuador in their quarter-final fixture having topped Group A with 10 points. Thanks to their brilliant run in the group stage, they have been able to get a draw against a side that is yet to record a win in the competition.
Ecuador have scored a commendable five goals in four games so far. However, with six goals conceded, they have the second-worst defensive record of the eight teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals. Only Peru are worse off, having conceded seven goals, four of which came in one game against Brazil.
Argentina were unbeaten in the group stage, conceding just twice, while Ecuador lost once and played three stalemates to barely make it into the next round. The matchup is a kind one for the Albiceleste, who are the favorites against La Tri and should be able to secure a place in the semi-finals with a win on Saturday.
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