Substitutes Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata were the goalscoring heroes as Colombia opened their Copa America campaign with a 2-0 victory over Argentina, handing an early blow to Lionel Messi’s latest attempt to win a senior international honour.
It was a deserved victory for a Colombia team who were better all over the pitch, while several Argentina players delivered lacklustre displays.
Check out how everyone fared with our Colombia player ratings.
Ospina 7. Made good second half saves from De Paul and Otamendi, getting down really well to save the latter’s header.
Medina 6. Offered a good attacking outlet down Colombia’s strong right-hand side, also doing solid defensive job on Di Maria.
Mina 7. Dominant in the air, winning everything that came near him, and watchful against Aguero. No-nonsense display.
Sanchez 6. A strong physical performance, although occasionally uncomfortable against the movement offered by Aguero.
Tesillo 7. Produced strong bursts down the left, supplying some good crosses into the box and defending with conviction.
Cuadrado 6. Sharp and decisive on the right of midfield in the first half but faded and was replaced after being yellow carded.
Barrios 7. Kept the ball moving in the centre of the field, helping Colombia establish a position of dominance with positional discipline.
Uribe 7. Good mobility to cover plenty of ground and support his team’s attacks, showing energy and great commitment.
James 7. Sent some dangerous balls into the box, blasted a long-range shot over the top and played the pass leading to the goal.
Falcao 6. Led the line with determination, always looking to force the Argentine defence deep into their penalty box.
Muriel 5. Replaced in the opening 15 minutes after suffering an injury in a challenge from Paredes.
SUBSTITUTES
Martinez 8. Early sub for Muriel and a regular threat with direct play down the left, before hammering home a brilliant opener.
Lerma 7. Replaced Cuadrado after an hour. Worked hard and delivered a great cross to tee up the second goal.
Zapata 7. Came on for Falcao with ten minutes remaining and capped a bright cameo with a well-taken goal.
