Argentina 5-1 Nicaragua: Two-goal Messi destroys defense as Lautaro nets brace

Two goals from Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez saw Argentina past Nicaragua before their Copa America opener on June 15.

Match Events

13' CHANCE! Messi's shot wide out

Messi was found by Lo Celso in a pocket of space in the box, but the former skewed his shot wide right! You'd expect better from him there.

26' SO CLOSE! Suarez's shot hits the post

Suarez was picked out by Messi and targeted the near post with a right-footed strike, but Lorente reacted quickly and parried it off the post! That shot looked destined for the back of the net when the winger took it!

37' GOAL! Argentina 1-0 Nicaragua (Messi)

Argentina take the lead! Lo Celso played an excellent reverse ball to Messi who was on his way into the box. The latter sat no less than three defenders on the ground with dummy shots before finally slotting his shot past a diving Lorente! Brilliant pass and even more brilliant finish! 

38' GOAL! Argentina 2-0 Nicaragua (Messi)

Messi scores two goals in two minutes! It starts with Locelso again who played Aguero into the box. The Manchester City man shot early, but it was blocked and parried by Lorente... right into the path of Messi who simply does not miss from there.

63' GOAL! Argentina 3-0 Nicaragua (Lautaro)

Argentina score their third! From a corner, the ball fell to Martinez in the box and the striker kept his composure, dribbled to better his angle, and then dispatched a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.

73' GOAL! Argentina 4-0 Nicaragua (Lautaro)

Argentina score their fourth! Funes Mori, who had literally just entered play, flicked on a header from a corner, and Martinez took it on the half-volley at the back-post and powered it past Maradiaga. That's Martinez second since coming on at the half!

81' GOAL! Argentina 5-0 Nicaragua (Pereyra)

It's five for Argentina! De Paul was found with a lofted pass as he launched down the left wing before he whipped in a teasing ball that missed Martinez at the near post, but fell perfectly to Pereyra at the back!

91' PENALTY GOAL! Argentina 5-1 Nicaragua (Barrera)

Nicaragua pull one back in the final moments! Barrera, Nicaragua's leading scorer, records another with a brilliant eright-footed penalty that he launched into the top-right corner! No keeper is getting to that one!

Match Report

Messi scored two goals in two minutes to lead Argentina past Nicaragua on Friday before Lionel Scaloni's men fly out to Brazil for the Copa America.

Having ended his international absence in March's shock loss to Venezuela, Messi opened the scoring with a stunning solo effort in the 37th minute.

Lautaro Martinez came off the bench and scored a second-half brace against the Central American visitors, while Roberto Pereyra added a fifth late on before Nicaragua's Juan Barrera converted a 91st-minute penalty to put a blemish on Argentina's performance.

Line-ups

Argentina XI: L. Messi, S. Agüero, M. Suárez, F. Armani, N. Otamendi, Leandro Paredes, M. Acuña, R. Saravia, G. Rodríguez, G. Lo Celso, J.Foyth

Subs: Agustín Marchesín, Á. Di María, R.Pereyra, Milton Casco, N. Tagliafico, G.Pizarro, E. Andrada, R.F Mori, Pezzella, P. Dybala, De Paul, Lautaro Martínez

Nicaragua XI: J. Barrera, L. Copete, C. Chavarría, M. Lopez, J. Quijano, J. Lorente, M. Rosas, J. Betancur, R. Punyed, B. Bonilla, C. Montenegro

Subs: F. Flores, H. Maradiaga, O. López, L. Galeano, Dany Cadena, A. Goufas, A. Báez Cano, C. Pérez, K. Serapio, B. Rodríguez, J. Arteaga