Colombia and Argentina faced off again following their recent clash in the Copa América final. Like their July encounter, the match was closely contested; however, this time Colombia celebrated a 2-1 victory in Barranquilla during the eighth round of World Cup qualifiers.
As usual, James Rodríguez was central to Colombia’s success. While not present throughout the entire match, he provided crucial moments: he assisted Yerson Mosquera’s header for the opener and converted a controversial penalty awarded by Piero Maza to seal the win at 2-1 after Nico González had equalized for Argentina.
Despite not being outplayed, Lionel Scaloni’s team struggled to provide clarity in the final third and failed to replicate their strong second half against Chile. The sweltering heat in Barranquilla, with a feels-like temperature near 40 degrees Celsius, acted as a significant factor in the performance of the Copa America champions.
Despite the defeat, Argentina remained at the top of the standings after this double matchday, while Colombia secured the second spot, just two points behind.
Final Score: Colombia 2 – 1 Argentina
Goals:
COL – Yerson Mosquera – 24th minute
ARG – Nico González – 47th minute
COL – James Rodríguez – 58th minute
Match Highlights:
The match ended with Colombia’s 2-1 win; it could have been 3-1, but a brilliant last-minute save by Dibu Martínez prevented another goal.
In the first half, Colombia took the lead with Mosquera’s goal from a perfect corner delivered by James Rodríguez. Argentina equalized early in the second half through González, who capitalized on a defensive error. Rodríguez restored Colombia’s lead with a penalty after a foul by Otamendi.
With the match’s end approaching, Argentina pressed for an equalizer but struggled to create clear-cut chances, culminating in a tough defeat.
Colombia’s strong performance left them positioned well in the qualifiers, showing promise for the remaining matches ahead.