Around 55,000 supporters attended the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in the city of Córdoba.
The winning goal for the Albiceleste was scored by the Inter d’Italia striker Lautaro Martinez29 minutes into the first half.
Lionel Scaloni’s team accumulates an undefeated 29 gameshas not lost since 2019, maintains the second position in the table and left his rival today with serious problems to qualify for the World Cup event.
In the match played on a hot Cordovan night, the undisputed figure was French PSG striker Ángel Di María, who from the start was a real problem for the visiting defense. With his usual imbalance, he generated several clear scoring options.
Rosario was the emblem of a team that did not have Lionel Messi and that had significant absences such as Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes and Nicolás Otamendi, among others.
The first half was averaging and Colombia was waiting close to their area, but they were looking to hurt with quick exits and a very vertical game. Miguel Borja and Luis Díaz complicated the left side of the attack, generating some doubts in Gonzalo Montiel’s mark.
The ball was a monopoly of the champion of America, and it was Di María himself who had the first clear chance. It is that the former Rosario Central recovered a ball at the apex of the area, finished off crosswise and the ball went centimeters from Camilo Vargas’s right post.
Scaloni’s team exercised a wide control of the ball, although they could not find the spaces to enter a visiting team that waited too close to their goal, and that lacked control every time they had the ball at their feet, with a James Rodríguez ( ex Banfield) that did not gravitate in that role.
Almost half an hour into the game, Marcos Acuña climbed down the left flank and sent a fair cross for striker Martínez, who had time to stop the ball between the two center-backs and with a low left-footed shot overcame the weak resistance of Vargas, to make it 1-0.
Just five minutes later, Davinson Sánchez lowered Giovani Lo Celso at the door of the area. The free kick was kicked by Di María and the shot almost became the second goal of the night. But Vargas shined on this opportunity and sent the ball to the corner when he got into the upper left corner.
The first time that James Rodríguez, Juan Cuadrado and Luis Díaz got together, when the first half expired, it generated the clearest action for the coffee team, but goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez showed off and narrowed it down very well to cover the shot from Borja, who was hand in hand to define.
The development of the complement did not change, although Reinaldo Rueda’s men were forced to seek a draw, the solidity in the midfield and the defense of the local team allowed “Dibu” Martínez to hardly have to intervene.
Despite bringing in more offensive players like Talleres striker Diego Valoyes and former River player Radamel Falcao, Colombia did not find a way to reach a draw, and suffered in each attack led by Argentina.
Another shot by Di María, which Vargas took out again, a shot by Lo Celso that went over the top, and a free kick by the entered Paulo Dybala, could widen the difference for Argentina, which rounded off a clear victory, despite the minimal difference, which keeps him very confident due to the good game shown.
The closing of the game was a party, with chants coming down from the Kempes stands, and the names of “Dibu” Martínez and “Fideo, fideo, fideo” for Di María, continued to be the favorites of the public.
Argentina will play again on March 24 when they receive Venezuela in Santiago del Estero, and for the last date they will visit Ecuador on Tuesday, March 29. During those days, Colombia will receive Bolivia and visit Venezuela, playing the last chances of qualifying.
Source: Ambito
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