Messi dazzles with three goals and two assist as Argentina put six past Bolivia

It wasn’t the easiest of starts for the hosts, with the away side proving a stubborn defensive outfit in the opening quarter-hour.

However, their good work was undone when Lautaro Martinez blocked a simple clearance. The ball subsequently fell to Messi, who made no mistake as he slotted in at the near post and notched his 110th international goal in the process.

Following that 19th-minute breakthrough, there was a jovial atmosphere inside Buenos Aires’ Estadio Mas Monumental, with La Albiceleste in full control of the contest.

Unsurprisingly, Messi was Argentina’s danger man, and a free-kick cross from distance almost caught out Guillermo Viscarra before a reaction save spared his blushes. The Bolivia stopper then produced a stunning stop from a Messi free-kick before Argentine superiority ultimately paid dividends before the break.

Julian Alvarez’s defence-splitting pass sent Messi through on goal and, on this occasion, he unselfishly squared for Martinez to fire into an empty net. The Messi show wasn’t finished there, though, as his quickly taken free-kick in stoppage time caught the Bolivian defence off-guard and allowed Alvarez to slot the ball past Viscarra.

Argentina picked up right where they left off after the break, and had the ball in the back of the net within three minutes of the restart when Nicolas Otamendi powered home a header at the back post. Nevertheless, the goal was ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR review.

Bolivia offered a rare foray forward after the fourth Argentine goal was ruled out, but a lack of clinical finishing resulted in the attack petering out. Normal service then resumed with Argentina soon after, with Alexis Mac Allister’s smashed effort goalwards from the edge of the box kept out brilliantly by Viscarra.

Scaloni made a triple change after the hour mark, and two of those substitutes combined for the valid fourth goal in the 70th minute as Leandro Paredes fired the ball across the face of goal for Thiago Almada to power home with a first-time finish.

Messi added a fifth and then a sixth via two familiarly clinical efforts, with his third strike of the night rounding things off as Argentina restored their three-point gap at the top of qualifying.

They will next be in action next month when they travel to Paraguay. Bolivia, meanwhile, remain in the play-off position, and will play Ecuador away in their first game of the calendar year’s final international break.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (Argentina)