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Peru beat Paraguay 4-3 on penalties to move into the Copa America semi-finals on Friday following an action-packed match that ended 3-3 after 90 minutes.

Gustavo Gomez put Paraguay ahead in the 10th minutes but two goals from Gianluca Lapadula gave Peru the upper hand before Gomez was sent off on the stroke of half time.

Junior Alonso equalised for Paraguay nine minutes into the second half only for Yoshimar Yotun's 80th minute shot to be deflected past Antony Silva. 

Peru beat Paraguay 4-3 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the Copa America quarter-final

Gustavo Gomez gave Paraguay the lead but the goals would start coming in at the other end

Just when it looked like that would be it, Paraguay equalised again in the final minute through Gabriel Avalos, moments after Peru's Andre Carrillo had been shown a red card.

Both sides scored their first two rounds of penalties but round three saw both teams miss through Paraguay's David Martinez and Peru's Santiago Ormeno.

Paraguay's Braian Samudio made it three straight unconverted penalties and team-mate Alberto Espinola's failed spot kick allowed Peru's Miguel Tracao to conver the winning spot kick. 

Gianluca Lapadula scored a brace to turn the tide on its head in the first-half

Yoshimar Yotun (above) regained the lead for Peru after Junior Alonso levelled the tie at 2-2

The victory means Peru will meet the winner of Friday's later game between Chile and reigning champions Brazil in the semi-finals.

'This was an amazing match,' tired Peru star Lapadula said after the shootout, in which he converted from the spot. 

'We can't choose adversaries, we have to think we are in the semifinal. Now we have to work to get there well.' 

Gabriel Avalos forced penalties by scoring a 90th minute equalise to frustrate Peru further

In the shootout, Miguel Trauco netted the winner after Paraguay has missed three spotkicks