MIAMI: Argentina shrugged off the injury absence of Lionel Messi to maintain their perfect start at the Copa America on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Peru in Miami.
Lautaro Martinez scored twice at the Hard Rock Stadium to seal a win that ensured Argentina advance to the quarter-finals as Group A winners.
With Messi sidelined after complaining of a sore right hamstring, and coach Lionel Scaloni serving a one-game suspension, Argentina made nine changes to their starting XI at the Hard Rock Stadium.
But despite the makeshift-looking line-up, Argentina were always in control against a disappointing Peru side who managed just one shot on goal during a one-sided encounter.
Martinez’s first goal came just after half-time. A sublime through ball from Angel Di Maria released the Inter Milan forward, who calmly lifted a deft finish over advancing Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
Argentina had a chance to double their lead in the 72nd minute after Jesus Castillo handled in the area to concede a penalty.
But Leandro Paredes crashed his ensuing spot-kick against the woodwork to leave the score at 1-0.
Martinez then grabbed a second in the 86th minute, latching on to a long pass forward before finishing past Gallese.
Replays indicated Martinez appeared to shove defender Aldo Corzo in the build-up but referee Cesar Ramos waved Peru’s protest and the goal stood.
“It was tough in the first half because they were defending deep, but the first goal opened up the game,” Martinez said afterwards. “There’s a lot more to come from us.”
Martinez has now scored in four consecutive appearances for Argentina and is relishing his hot streak.
“Every time I put on this shirt, every training session, every meal, every team talk, I enjoy it,” Martinez said.
Argentina will now face the runner-up from Group B in the quarter-finals in Houston next Thursday, most likely either Ecuador or Mexico.
In Saturday’s other Group A game, Canada held 2015 and 2016 Copa America champions Chile to a 0-0 draw in Orlando, which was enough to see the Canadians into the last eight.
Chile needed a victory to leapfrog the Canadians into the knockout rounds but were left with a mountain to climb early in the game when Gabriel Suazo was dismissed for a second yellow card after only 27 minutes.
“It took a lot of hard work — it’s our first time in this competition and it’s not easy,” Canada captain Alphonso Davies said about his team’s advance to the last eight.
“There’s a lot of good teams in this competition and a lot of good players. But we stuck to our plan and we played well. We showed a lot of fight. We had to show our teeth at times, but overall we did well.”
Canada will play the winners of Group B in the quarter-finals.
No Messi, no problem as Argentina down Peru at Copa America
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No Messi, no problem as Argentina down Peru at Copa America
- Lionel Messi sidelined after complaining of a sore right hamstring
- Despite the makeshift-looking line-up, Argentina were always in control against a disappointing Peru side
Buttler rejects calls for England to boycott Afghanistan match
- Captain Jos Buttler says England’s match against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy should go ahead after calls for a boycott over the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights
A group of more than 160 British politicians have written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) calling for England not to play the match in Lahore on February 26.
Since returning to power in 2021 the Taliban have effectively banned the participation of women in both sport and broader public life.
That puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board at odds with the rules of governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Buttler said sports and politics should be kept separate.
“Political situations like this, as a player you’re trying to be as informed as you can be,” he told reporters ahead of the first T20 against India in Kolkata on Wednesday.
“The experts know a lot more about it, so I’ve been trying to stay in dialogue with Rob Key (managing director of ECB) and the guys above to see how they see it.
“I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it,” he added.
“Certainly as a player, you don’t want political situations to affect sport. We hope to go to the Champions Trophy and play that game and have a really good tournament.”
The ECB have resisted calls for a boycott, with chief executive Richard Gould saying instead he would “actively advocate” for collective action by the ICC instead.
The ICC have allowed the Afghanistan men’s team to keep competing in global competitions.
England are clubbed with Afghanistan, Australia and South Africa in the group phase of the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19.
England captain says cricket match against Afghanistan should go ahead despite boycott calls
- This month, over 160 UK politicians signed a letter arguing England should refuse to play ODI in Lahore
- The proposed boycott is to take stand against Afghan Taliban regime’s crackdown on women’s rights
LONDON: England captain Jos Buttler believes their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month should go ahead despite calls for a boycott.
This month, more than 160 UK politicians signed a letter arguing that England should refuse to play the men’s one-day international in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 26 to take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights.
“Political situations like this, as a player you’re trying to be as informed as you can be,” Buttler was quoted as saying by British media ahead of his side’s first Twenty20 against India on Wednesday. “The experts know a lot more about it, so I’ve been trying to stay in dialogue with (England director of men’s cricket) Rob Key and the guys above to see how they see it. I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it.”
Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in contravention of International Cricket Council rules.
“As a player, you don’t want political situations to affect sport,” Buttler added. “We hope to go to the Champions Trophy and play that game and have a really good tournament.”
At the 2003 Cricket World Cup, England forfeited a game against Zimbabwe in protest at Robert Mugabe’s regime.
Alvarez sends Atletico past Leverkusen late as both sides see red
- The last-gasp victory sends Atletico third in the Champions League table, with the top eight sides all avoiding an extra knockout round
MADRID: Julian Alvarez scored a second-half brace as a 10-man Atletico Madrid came from a goal down to beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at home on Tuesday, and take a major step toward a top-eight finish.
Barrios was sent off for a nasty, studs-up challenge after 23 minutes and Leverkusen took advantage as Piero Hincapie put the visitors ahead in first-half stoppage time.
Buoyed on by a fiery 70,000-strong home crowd, Atletico lifted in the second, Alvarez finishing off a length-of-the-field counter to equalize after 52 minutes.
Goalscorer Hincapie picked up a second yellow with 14 minutes remaining and Atletico smelt blood, Alvarez taking advantage of some sloppy Leverkusen defending to score in the 90th minute.
“Things looked bleak,” Alvarez said after the match, adding “but by playing our game and staying humble, we got the equalizer.
“Then with 10 against 10, we saw the chance to win.”
The last-gasp victory sends Atletico third in the Champions League table, with the top eight sides all avoiding an extra knockout round.
The win means Atletico have already secured last 16 qualification and who travel to Red Bull Salzburg in their final match.
“These are three very important points and they show us to keep believing in what we do,” Alvarez said.
German champions Leverkusen, who host lowly Sparta Prague next week, finish the night in sixth.
“We didn’t close out the game maturely enough,” Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah lamented to DAZN, saying Atletico lured his side into a “fight.”
“The stadium pushed them and lifted them high... To lose a difficult away game like that, it hurts extremely badly.”
Both sides came into the match in red-hot form. Leverkusen had chalked up 12 straight victories in all competitions while Atletico had 15 wins in a row before Saturday’s surprise La Liga loss at lowly Leganes.
Pre-match, both coaches lavished praise on each other.
Atletico’s Diego Simeone, who coached his side against Alonso when the Leverkusen boss was playing at Real and Bayern, lauded his opposite number for turning side into an “extraordinary team.”
Alonso, who missed Real’s 2014 Champions League final win over Atletico with suspension, praised Simeone’s “intense and perfect relationship” with his club.
On the pitch however there was no love lost, with the referee handing out four yellow cards and a red in the first half.
Leverkusen were in control before referee Davide Massa changed Barrios’ yellow to red after a VAR intervention with 23 minutes gone.
The man advantage supercharged the Germans, who pinned Atletico inside their own area
Leverkusen broke through in first-half stoppage time, Nordi Mukiele lofting a cross for Hincapie to head past Atletico goalie Jan Oblak.
In the second-half, the early control evaporated as both sides played end-to-end, with Atletico using the chaos to equalize.
With Leverkusen on the attack, Antoine Griezmann punted a long pass goalwards, Alvarez forced Tah into a poor clearance, before regathering and guiding a shot into the bottom right.
Leverkusen lost goalscorer Hincapie to a second yellow in the final 15 minutes, prompting Atletico to push higher.
With the visitors failing to deal with a bouncing cross, Alvarez collected the ball and rounded the keeper before converting from a tight angle to snatch a famous comeback victory for the undermanned hosts.
Liverpool’s magnificent seven secures Champions League progress
- Liverpool will welcome direct progress to the last 16, without the need for a play-off round, with the Premier League leaders still involved in four competitions
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool maintained their perfect Champions League record to guarantee a top-two finish in the league phase and automatic last-16 qualification with a 2-1 win over Lille at Anfield on Tuesday.
Harvey Elliott’s deflected strike secured a seventh consecutive Champions League victory for Arne Slot’s men after Jonathan David canceled out Mohamed Salah’s opener.
Liverpool remain three points clear of Barcelona, who came from 4-2 down to beat Benfica 5-4.
Lille’s first defeat in 22 games in all competitions leaves the French side 11th.
Liverpool will welcome direct progress to the last 16, without the need for a play-off round, with the Premier League leaders still involved in four competitions.
Slot took the chance to rotate with the Reds already all but assured of progress to the next round.
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez, fresh from his match-winning contribution, came in from the side that beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday to open up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Lille arrived on Merseyside full of confidence with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid among the notable scalps on their long unbeaten run.
The visitors were far from overawed early on as they started impressively without ever seriously threatening Alisson Becker’s goal.
Liverpool had struggled to get going until one defense-splitting pass from Jones freed Salah to gallop clear and coolly slot in his 50th European goal for the club on 34 minutes.
Jones had to be replaced at half-time in an injury concern for Slot, who also took the chance to rest Ryan Gravenberch for the second 45 minutes as Elliot and Alexis Mac Allister were introduced.
Lille’s task looked to be an impossible one when Aissa Mandi was sent off for a second bookable offense for chopping down Luis Diaz.
Yet, within three minutes, Liverpool’s club-record European run without conceding was brought to an end.
David swept home the rebound after Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s effort had been blocked by Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool had not conceded for one minute shy of 10 hours since Christian Pulisic struck for AC Milan inside the first three minutes of their opening Champions League game of the season.
Yet, not for the first time this season, Liverpool’s strength in depth made the difference with another winner from a substitute.
There was an element of fortune about this one as Elliott’s strike from the edge of the area took a huge deflection off Ngal’ayel Mukau to wrongfoot Lucas Chevalier.
The Lille ‘keeper denied Federico Chiesa a third in stoppage time, before Nunez was flagged offside as he swept in the rebound.
Barca score wild comeback victory at Benfica
- With Benfica appealing for a penalty, Barcelona sprang a quick breakaway and the Brazilian winger slotted home to end a blockbuster clash
LISBON: Raphinha struck a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Barcelona came from behind to beat Benfica 5-4 in a wild match on Tuesday and virtually ensure direct qualification to the Champions League last 16.
Benfica were leading 4-2 with under 15 minutes remaining but Barcelona mounted a stunning late comeback to stay three points behind leaders Liverpool.
Vangelis Pavlidis hit a first-half hat-trick for the hosts, in part thanks to two big errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
However a Robert Lewandowski double from the penalty spot, Eric Garcia’s header and a brace for Raphinha helped Barcelona claim a stunning late triumph in Lisbon.
Benfica opened the scoring in the second minute, when Pavlidis escaped Pau Cubarsi and fired home from Alvaro Carreras’ low cross.
Barcelona responded swiftly with Lewandowski scoring from the penalty spot after Alejandro Balde was brought down by Benfica defender Tomas Araujo.
The hosts nosed back ahead through a stroke of luck, when Szczesny raced out of his goal to try and cut out a through-ball, but crashed into Balde.
Greece international Pavlidis gleefully collected the loose ball and rolled his second into the empty net.
Barcelona, who lured Szczesny out of retirement to replace the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in October, soon fell further behind.
Pavlidis completed his half-hour hat-trick with a penalty after another Szczesny mistake, with the goalkeeper flying in to try and dispossess Kerem Akturkoglu but bringing him down.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed good chances before the break as Barcelona pushed forward.
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin saved from Jules Kounde, who should have scored, and Lewandowski could not turn home from Pedri’s dangerous ball across the face of goal.
Raphinha pulled one back for Barcelona in bizarre fashion as a clearance by Trubin struck his head on the edge of the area and flew back into the net.
However, Benfica soon struck again, with Ronald Araujo nudging past Szczesny into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross.
Barcelona kept pushing and Lewandowski converted another penalty after Nicolas Otamendi brought down Yamal.
The Catalan giants, who last won the Champions League in 2015, pulled level when substitute Garcia headed home from Pedri’s inviting cross.
Szczesny saved former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria’s low shot before Raphinha’s dramatic winner.
With Benfica appealing for a penalty, Barcelona sprang a quick breakaway and the Brazilian winger slotted home to end a blockbuster clash.
