Argentina avoided a repeat of their group-stage capitulation against Paraguay by producing a stunning display that resulted in a 6-1 victory, setting up a date with hosts Chile in the Copa América final.
La Albiceleste got off to the perfect start, with Marcos Rojo sweeping a Lionel Messi free kick home from 12 yards with just over a quarter of an hour gone.
Javier Pastore then doubled Argentina’s lead in the 26th minute – Messi again supplying the assist – as he fired a low drive past Justo Villar from the top of the box.
La Albirroja lost both Derlis González and Roque Santa Cruz to injury in the opening half an hour, but that paved the way for Argentina-born Lucas Barrios to enter the match and he halved the deficit with a powerful strike on the brink of half time.
However, Gerardo Martino’s men responded in superb fashion as Ángel Di María found the back of the net twice within eight minutes of the restart, putting Paraguay’s hopes of a repeat of their first-phase comeback against his side to bed.
Ramón Díaz’s crestfallen team had no response, and their misery was compounded when Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín took Argentina’s tally to six in the closing stages.
Bron: ca2015.com
