The fourth official indicates four minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.
90' +1
L. Ocampos gets yellow.
Ocampos' flailing arm catches Advincula in the face during an aerial duel, which gets the winger into the referee's notebook.
89'
P. Gómez enters the game and replaces L. Martínez.
Argentina look to take some time off the clock as Gomez gets a chance to play. Lautaro Martinez is the man removed.
88'
W. Cartagena enters the game and replaces P. Aquino.
H. Calcaterra enters the game and replaces Y. Yotún.
Its a double-change for the hosts, who also swap Aquino with Cartagena.
Yotun is replaced by Calcaterra with a few minutes remaining.
86'
Messi is brought down in the penalty area after turning his marker, but again the referee is unwilling to award a penalty despite being in a good position to see the challenge. The captain has been in great form in the second half but has yet to find the back of the net.
83'
Lautaro Martinez is dragged back cynically in midfield as Peru desperately look to prevent another counter-attack.
81'
R. Ruidíaz enters the game and replaces C. Cueva.
Ruidiaz comes on for Cueva with under 10 minutes left as Peru struggle to find a goal to cut the deficit.
79'
P. Gallese gets yellow.
Gallese is shown a yellow card for a slide tackle outside of his penalty area on the right after being dragged out of his area by Di Maria. The goalkeeper didn’t have another option as he was caught out of position after suspect defending by his backline.
75'
Carrillo’s delivery looking for Santamaria skips just ahead of the centre-back and pops up into the arms of Armani.
Minute
Description
73'
G. Lo Celso gets yellow.
Lo Celso slides in to win the ball from Carrillo, but his raised hand makes contact with the ball. Peru have a free-kick on the right, while the Argentina midfielder is booked.
72'
Á. Di María enters the game and replaces N. González.
Gonzalez marks his start with a goal but he won't finish the match as Di Maria is introduced.
71'
A. Polo enters the game and replaces É. Flores.
L. Advíncula enters the game and replaces A. Corzo.
Corzo is replaced by Advincula - sending Trauco to left-back as Peru reshuffle the defence.
Polo is given a chance to make an impact on the match as Flores makes way.
69'
Argentina come forward with the ball and pass it around the Peru penalty area before turning around and sending it back to Otamendi standing in the centre circle. The visitors are in no rush as they look to see out the final 20 minutes and guarantee the three points.
64'
A long-range pass launched into Peru’s half somehow finds the run of Messi, who scampers into the penalty area and dances with a defender before firing a shot which is blocked out for a corner.
60'
N. Otamendi gets yellow.
No stranger to a booking, Otamendi is shown a yellow card for a foul while the centre-back was out of position.
57'
L. Ocampos enters the game and replaces R. De Paul.
De Paul’s evening is done as Ocampos replaces the Udinese midfielder just before the hour.
52'
Peru are taking initiative for the first time in the match, moving the ball from right to left in search of an opening in the Argentina backline. There doesn’t appear to be one, but Flores wins a free-kick from Montiel to give his side a chance to deliver a cross into the penalty area.
50'
Cueva leaves the free-kick for Trauco, whose left-footed delivery somewhat stumps the goalkeeper, leaving him rooted to the spot momentarily before his side are able to scramble it away from danger.
48'
Lucas Martinez commits a foul on Cueva just outside his penalty area on the left, giving Peru a chance to swing in a free-kick.
46'
Argentina get the match restarted from the kick-off!
45' +5
HALF-TIME: PERU 0-2 ARGENTINA.
45' +3
Argentina have not scored twice in the first half of a match since a 6-1 thrashing of Ecuador in October 2019.
45' +1
The fourth official indicates four minutes will be added to the end of the half for stoppages.
44'
Yotun’s shallow clearance fails to beat the first man as Lautaro Martinez nods it away.
42'
Lapadula wins an aerial ball on the edge of the 18 and knocks it down for Carrillo, whose volleyed effort is deflected out for a rare corner.
40'
Yotun turns it over in midfield allowing Argentina to attack, but Gonzalez’s inability to find De Paul on the edge of the penalty area potentially saves Peru from conceding another.
38'
Gonzalez cuts the ball back into the penalty area from the left flank for Messi, whose first-time strike with his left boot misses the top corner narrowly - going out for a goal-kick.
36'
Argentina are taking their time, passing it around in midfield. They’re much the superior side and are looking to see out the final 10 minutes before half-time.
34'
M. Trauco gets yellow.
Trauco is shown the second yellow card of the match for a lunging challenge on Lautaro Martinez, which caught the striker on the ankle.
31'
Lautaro Martinez goes free down the left flank, taking advantage of the disorganised Peru defence, but the referee pulls play back to award Argentina a free-kick deep in their own half instead for an earlier foul on Gonzalez. The Albiceleste won’t be happy about that decision, as they’ve lost a chance to counter-attack.
29'
P. Aquino gets yellow.
The first booking of the match is shown to Aquino for a slide tackle from behind on Lautaro Martinez in midfield. It’s looking a bit desperate for the hosts at the moment.
28'
L. Martínez has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by L. Paredes.
THE VISITORS GO TWO GOALS AHEAD! Paredes splits the Peru centre-backs with an incisive pass from midfield for Lautaro Martinez, who latches onto it and rounds the goalkeeper before tucking the ball into the open goal! 2-0!
The second assist of the match is a tidy pass from Paredes, who got Lautaro Martinez through two defenders with his delivery.
25'
The corner is met at the near post by a Peru defender, who puts it just outside the penalty area. A volley back in by Tagliafico is worth a try but it sails high and wide.
23'
Tagliafico breaks into the penalty area after being released by Messi, but Santamaria’s crucial block on a square pass to Lautaro Martinez puts it out for a corner.
21'
Peru give away another needless free-kick inside Argentina’s half after a cynical push from Carrillo on Tagliafico gives the Albiceleste a chance to clear their lines from a set-piece.
19'
Trauco goes to ground and scythes down De Paul in frustration, giving Argentina a cheap free-kick in their own half.
17'
N. González has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by G. Lo Celso.
ARGENTINA TAKE THE LEAD! The build-up between Tagliafico and Lo Celso down the left flank works the latter free, before his low delivery into the penalty area is met by the run of Gonzalez. The winger takes a touch to set himself - getting past Santamaria in the process before finding the back of the net! 1-0!
Lo Celso's second assist for Gonzalez in is as many matches is a beauty with the outside of his foot - finding the winger with pinpoint accuracy.
15'
Tagliafico beats Corzo to the loose ball on the flank but his accurate, low cross to the front post is met by a scuffed Lautaro Martinez shot that misses the target entirely.
13'
No penalty says the referee! There didn’t seem to be enough contact to give a spot-kick, but the match official jogging to the sideline to look at the monitor definitely illustrates the close nature of the decision. Argentina get the match restarted from a goal-kick after the stop in play.
5'
Messi steps up to take it but the wall’s jump meets the ball’s trajectory and it ricochets out for a corner.
4'
Peru play themselves into trouble after a poor first touch forces Abram into a standing tackle, sending the ball up towards his arm. The referee gives Argentina a free-kick for handball as the hosts fail to play out of the back in the early stages.
3'
An early VAR check confirms the referee’s decision to let play continue was correct after Peru’s forwards protested that Armani stepped out of his area with the ball in his hands. The goalkeeper came right up to the line but it doesn’t appear as though he’s done anything wrong.
1'
Peru get the match underway from the kick-off!
Hello and welcome to our live commentary of the CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 qualifier between Peru and Argentina!
It’s been a lacklustre start for Peru, who managed to nick a late equaliser against Paraguay in their opening fixture, before losing to both Brazil and Chile. Coach Ricardo Gareca faces a similarly difficult test in his fourth match, as he sets his side out against his own nation of birth; Argentina. In his two previous meetings as head of the Blanquirroja, he’s managed two draws but may need something more this time around as Peru sit last in qualifying.
ARGENTINA SUBS: Esteban Andrada, Agustin Marchesin, Walter Kannemann, Facundo Medina, Nehuen Perez, Alejandro Gomez, Joaquin Correa, Angel Di Maria, Guido Rodriguez, Nicolas Dominguez, Lucas Ocampos, Lucas Alario.
ARGENTINA XI (3-4-2-1): Franco Armani; Nicolas Otamendi, Lucas Martinez, Gonzalo Montiel; Nicolas Tagliafico, Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Nicolas Gonzalez; Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul; Lautaro Martinez.
PERU SUBS: Renato Solis, Jose Carvalho, Miguel Araujo, Marcos Lopez, Christian Ramos, Luis Advincula, Alexander Callens, Wilder Cartagena, Horacio Calcaterra, Andy Polo, Raul Ruidiaz, Aldair Rodriguez.
PERU XI (4-2-3-1) Pedro Gallese; Aldo Corzo, Anderson Santamaria, Luis Abram, Miguel Trauco; Pedro Aquino, Yoshimar Yotun; Andre Carrillo, Christian Cueva, Edison Flores; Gianluca Lapadula.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s look at how the two sides will line up - starting with Peru!
Lionel Messi’s displeasure with Argentina’s 1-1 draw with Paraguay last time out was palpable, after his would-be winner was chalked off due to a VAR decision for a foul in the build-up. The side he captains will get a chance to make amends against a Peru side who have only managed to beat the Albiceleste once in their 15 previous encounters; 2-1 in 1997. Winners of their last three matches away from home in all competitions, Lionel Scaloni’s stuttering attack will get a chance to boost their confidence against one of CONMEBOL’s most porous defences.
The hosts will need to attack right from kick-off and throw caution to the wind with Seattle Sounders’ Ruidiaz seems the most likely entrant for Peru after the restart, as Lapadula was unable to link up with his team-mates in the first half. Polo and Advincula will also be options down the flanks as Tagliafico and Montiel have yet to be tested. For Argentina, they’ll see no need to leave gaps as they look to secure an away win which would put them second in qualifying.
That concludes our commentary of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification match between Peru and Argentina! Until next time!
That’s it for international football until March 2021, when Peru travel to face Bolivia on the 25th. Argentina will recommence their qualification campaign on the same day when they host Uruguay.
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