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Colombia staged a dramatic comeback and equalized in injury time to hold Argentina to a 2-2 draw in their FIFA World Cup qualifier fixture.
Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes gave the visiting side a dream start. The Atalanta defender headed home a Rodrigo De Paul cross in the third minute and Paredes dribbled past a host of Colombian players to double their lead in the eighth minute.
After two goals in the first eight minutes of the game, Argentina had a few chances to add another but David Ospina made several impressive saves to ensure Colombia stayed in the game.
In the 40th minute, Argentina were forced to make a change when Emiliano Martinez fell head-first on the ground following a clash with Yerry Mina. The Colombian defender was booked for a reckless challenge.
This was the second change of the game. Colombia had replaced midfielder Jefferson Lerma with Luis Muriel in the 30th minute to add some more teeth to their attack.
Just as Argentina got off to a great start in the first half, after the break, it was Colombia's turn to shine. The hosts scored within six minutes of the restart and, thanks to Nicolas Otamendi's foul on Mateus Uribe, were awarded a penalty. Muriel made no mistake in converting from the spot.
Just when Argentina thought they had picked up three points from the game, Colombia won the ball near the box in injury time and it was passed on to Juan Cuadrado on the right flank.
The Juventus defender delivered an inch-perfect cross into the box which was met by Miguel Borja, whose header made it under the body of substitute goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin and into the back of the net.
As Argentina remain unbeaten in the World Cup qualifiers, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Argentina's bright start to the game undone by Colombia's resilience
Argentina could not have asked for a better start to the game, with two goals in the first eight minutes. While they continued to create chances despite their comfortable lead, as the game progressed, it was the home side that started to tighten their grip on the game.
Colombia also forced Argentina to adopt a five-at-the-back tactic in the second half. They made Otamendi commit an error in the box and earned a penalty early in the second half. They pushed on until the very last minute and were able to snatch a point from Argentina with an injury-time equalizer.
#4 Lionel Messi struggling to make things happen from open play
Lionel Messi was the sole goalscorer in Argentina's 1-1 draw last time around with Chile and that goal came from the penalty spot. Against Colombia too, the Barcelona man was not as effective from open play and his best chance came from a free-kick in the second half, which was saved by David Ospina.
It is sometimes difficult for fans to fathom the fact that a player who has scored 30 league goals and provided nine assists struggles in national colors just a couple of weeks later. The left-footed maestro has also recently lost the second place among active international goalscorers, with India's Sunil Chettri scoring his 74th goal on Monday.
Also See: 10 best players in La Liga this season (2020-21)
#3 Two games, two stalemates for Argentina
Argentina have played back-to-back draws in their FIFA World Cup qualifiers this month and in both games, they have not been up to the mark.
In the first game against Chile, they could only score once and that too was a penalty. In the game against Colombia, Argentina scored twice within eight minutes but managed to create only half-chances after that.
They could not deliver the final blow that would've put the game to bed and, despite an early onslaught, were mostly the second-best side in the game. While they are still second in the qualifier standings with this draw, their form ahead of Copa America does not bode well.
#2 Colombia's attacking lineup make them a force to reckoned with at Copa America
Colombia's second-half comeback against Argentina was a display of their attacking might. They moved the ball around in the final third with precision. They also had a better pass conversion ratio than La Albiceleste.
With their attackers playing at the highest level of European football, they have a lot of talent in their lineup. Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel scored 15 goals and 22 goals respectively for Atalanta this season and also had nine assists to their name.
Juan Cuadrado, who provided the assist for the 94th-minute equalizer, had been one of the best crossers in Europe this season and picked up nine assists for Juventus.
This combination of quick and skilful attack-minded players make Colombia a tricky opponent to go up against.
#1 Argentina troubled by yet another inspiring performance from an opposition goalkeeper
For the second game in a row, Argentina faced a team with a great goalkeeper. While David Ospina could do nothing to stop the visiting side from getting an early two-goal lead, his reflexes and saves after that were top-notch.
He made as many as six saves in the game and all of them were crucial. He also denied Messi twice in the second half, first from a direct free-kick and later in the 85th minute from close range.
He deserves due credit for his performances between the sticks. Had he slipped up, it would've been difficult for the hosts to come back from behind.
Also See: 10 best goalkeepers in the world this season (2020-21)
