In the Copa America, Argentina defeated Peru 2-0 without Messi thanks to a double shot from Lautaro Martinez, a victory that sealed Argentina's place in the quarter-finals.
On the football field, sometimes, the absence of one player can light up another. In the recently concluded Copa America match between Argentina and Peru, when Argentina was missing their superstar Messi, Lautaro Martinez stepped up and told the world with two goals: Argentina is not only Messi.
In the 46th minute of the game, Angel Di Maria's precise through ball, as if it was a key, unlocked the Peruvian defence, and Martinez seized the opportunity to help Argentina take the lead. After the goal, he was hugged tightly by his teammates, and then he ran to the sideline and hugged Messi on the bench. It's like saying: We scored, we know you're an integral part of us.
In the 86th minute, Martinez doubled the lead with four goals that put him in the top scorer of the tournament. The Argentine team, also because of this victory, locked the ticket to the knockout round in advance.
Messi missed the game due to injury, and Argentina's performance was not affected by this. Despite coach Scaloni's absence, his tactical set-up has clearly worked. After nine changes to the starting line-up, Argentina were able to control the tempo of the game, with 74 per cent possession and six shots on goal.
It wasn't all smooth sailing. In the 55th minute, Nicolás Tagliafico's shot was disallowed because goalkeeper Pedro Galese was blocked. Argentina were not discouraged by this, as they were awarded a penalty after a handball foul by Jesús Castillo and Leandro Paredes was securely converted.
Peru will look a little struggling in this fixture, failing to score in all three matches in this Copa America and failing to find the back of the net in 11 of their last 14 matches. They reached the semi-finals of the 2021 Copa America and lost to Brazil, and this time they will have to face another defeat.
In this football match, Lautaro Martinez's outstanding performance not only brought victory to the Argentine team, but also brought surprises to the fans. The fact that Argentina were able to win without Messi is a testament to their quality and team spirit.