Lionel Messi passed Javier Mascherano as Argentina’s most capped international on Monday and scored twice as they beat Bolivia 4-1 to set up a Copa América quarter-final against Ecuador.
Messi was in fine form on his 148th appearance for Argentina and it was his sublime pass that set up Alejandro Gómez to volley home the opening goal after five minutes.
Barcelona forward Messi doubled their lead from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark and then made it 3-0 shortly before half-time when he ran on to a through ball from Sergio Agüero and lobbed Carlos Lampe.
Bolivia, who had lost their previous 11 Copa América matches, made life more difficult for themselves by repeatedly giving up possession in their own half.
However, they improved after the break and surprised Argentina on the hour when Erwin Saavedra swept home a cross from the right to make it 3-1.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Their slight hopes of a comeback were extinguished within five minutes as substitute Lautaro Martínez restored Argentina’s three-goal advantage within seconds of replacing Agüero.
Messi’s goals were his 74th and 75th for the national side and it could have been more but for another excellent performance by Lampe in the Bolivian goal.
The win extended Argentina’s unbeaten streak to 17 games, a run that goes back to the last Copa América when they lost to Brazil in the semi-finals.
“We’re in good form going into the quarter-finals,” said Giovani Lo Celso, who came on in the second half. “The team knows how it is playing and what it wants to do. We’re getting better and now comes the most beautiful part.”
The result means Argentina will face Ecuador in the last eight on Saturday while Uruguay, who beat Paraguay 1-0, will play Colombia the same day. Host nation Brazil will take on Chile in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, while Paraguay play Peru the same day.