Lionel Messi was the star of the show for Argentina as he scored a stunning free-kick goal and grabbed a couple of assists to help Albiceleste secure an easy 3-0 victory over Ecuador at Copa America 2021.
Argentina dominated the game right from start to finish and finally took the lead in the 40th minute through midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. Lionel Messi, as always, was heavily involved and found De Paul on the far side to grab his first assist of the night.
The second half saw Ecuador start brightly and enjoy their best spell of the game as they troubled Argentina's defense with some whipped balls from the wings and set-pieces. However, the Argentine defense held firm.
The game was finally put to bed in the 84th minute when Lautaro Martinez made the most of Lionel Messi's brilliant pass to make it 2-0. The 6-time Ballon d'Or winner outmuscled Peiro Hincapie and set up Lautaro Martinez, who made no mistake.
Lionel Messi reserved his best for the last as he fired in a clinical free-kick in the 3rd minute of injury time to add gloss to the scoreline and secure a 3-0 win for Argentina. The Argentina superstar now has 4 goals and 4 assists from the tournament so far and looks determined to end his country's long wait for an international trophy.
The goal also took Lionel Messi's international goal tally to 76 which is just one behind the legendary Pele. Speaking after the match, the Argentina captain said:
"I've always said that individual prizes are secondary, we're here for something else. We have an objective and we're focused on that."
"It was a hard match, we know how difficult an opponent they can be. The important thing is we've taken another step forward."
Argentina will now take on Colombia in an intriguing semi-final while Brazil will face off against Peru in the other semi-final. Both Brazil and Argentina are unbeaten in the tournament so far and with Neymar and Lionel Messi in fine form, we could very well have a Brazil vs Argentina final at Copa America 2021.
Lionel Messi has been at his sparkling best inc Copa America 2021 and fans will be hoping that the legendary 'number 10' contiunues his good form for the rest of the tournament. Without further ado, let us take a look at the:
Lionel Messi's masterclass in 54 seconds. Sit back and enjoy the 2 assists and the free-kick goal.
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