Bolivia may have scored well in World Cup qualifying, but that won’t matter when we go there Argentina to face Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste. Messi made his first Argentina start in 333 days and did not disappoint. He scored a goal in the 19th minute to put Argentina ahead. By halftime that lead would increase to 3-0 as Messi added two more assists to his performance. In true Messi fashion, he didn’t stop there with two goals in two minutes to complete a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Bolivia.
After working to a draw in their last match against Venezuela, this was just what the doctor ordered for Argentina. Everything is made easier by the presence of Messi, who took advantage of Bolivia’s defensive errors to score his opening goal before developing into a provider.
At the instruction of Lautaro Martinez for the opening goal, Messi returned the favor to his attacking partner by setting up Martinez, splitting Bolivia’s lines into an open net before the devastating finish. Messi then set up Julian Alvarez for the third goal from a free kick, giving Argentina an impressive half-time advantage.
After the break, Messi would keep the fun going by scoring in the 84th and 86th minutes. That 86th-minute goal was especially impressive because it was assisted by 20-year-old Nico Paz. The Como man came off the bench to make his Argentine debut and it was a memorable debut with an assist from Messi to extend Argentina’s lead.
While Messi and Argentina’s current squad are important, it is also crucial to keep an eye on the future, which will be led by players like Paz. This is what one of the best teams in CONMEBOL – and one of the best in the world – can do when playing in front of their home faithful. With the win, Argentina also broke their two-match winless streak after dropping a match Colombia before signing against Venezuela.