Argentina closed the group stage of the Copa América with a perfect campaign, with a 2-0 victory against a disappointing Peru, who left the tournament with just one point, without scoring any goals and with a worrying outlook for the future.
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While Argentina, which had already qualified, had the luxury of keeping practically the entire starting lineup (only Dibu Martínez and Nicolás Tagliafico repeated), Peru, with its attitude on the field, never seemed to realize that a victory could qualify it for the quarterfinals.
Peru’s performance was very poor, spending the entire first half and a good part of the second without having a shot on goal and, worse still, without even stringing together a series of passes that would have posed any danger.
Argentina, on the other hand, had to wait the entire first half to obtain an advantage that it deserved by specific weight, despite the fact that it was not the same roster as the first games. He had two very clear chances in the first half, well conjured by goalkeeper Pedro Gallese: one, a free kick by Leandro Paredes that sent him flying, and then, a point-blank shot by Gio Lo Celso, which, on the rebound, wasted Alejandro Garnacho.
Lautaro Martínez unlocked the match at the beginning of the second half
The goal came very quickly in the second half. Not even two minutes into the game had passed when Angel Di Maria played a brilliant pass to Lautaro Martinez, who chipped the ball over Gallese to score the 1-0.
Peru was not even aware of what was happening: neither in the other match, where Canada and Chile were tied at that time, the result that suited them, nor in their own match, where they did not generate much risk. Barely 21 minutes into the second half, the ball finally reached Dibu, in a shot by Marcos López.
Rather, things could have been worse for Peru, after Peruvian referee César Ramos sanctioned a penalty for a handball by Jesús Castillo. Leandro Paredes was in charge of collecting it, but he crashed the ball into Gallese’s right hand post.
Argentina was so dominant and Peru so disappointing that Lionel Scaloni, who watched the match from a box because he was suspended, even had time to give the young Valentín Carboni a chance.
Even Lautaro Martínez had another very clear one, eight minutes from time, with a left foot shot that Gallese saved well. And then, four minutes later, Lautaro himself scored 2-0, after winning a duel with Aldo Corzo and beating the goalkeeper.
Already with two in and with five minutes to score three goals, Peru reacted too late. Gianluca Lapadula caused the only scare of the second half with a shot on the post, one minute after 2-0.
Argentina did its homework: it gave play to practically the entire squad and arrives fresh to the quarterfinals, where it awaits the second in group B. Peru, without a replacement, and worst of all, without a soul, was left out in the first phase for the first time since 1995.
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