Argentina 4-0 Haiti: Winners and losers from the warm-up victory
Argentina began their World Cup preparations in emphatic fashion as a Lionel Messi-inspired hattrick mauled Haiti 4-0 in Buenos Aires friendly.
In a ridiculously lopsided affair, the Barcelona ace opened the scoring from the spot after Lo Celso was brought down inside the area with a rash challenge. Les Bicolores were fortunate to be only one down at half-time, but a vibrant Messi added two more in the second-half to round off his hat-trick before Aguero made it four from the bench.
The Albiceleste in all, had 21 shots, 11 of which were on target (Haiti had nada!) and also dominated possession with 77%. The gap between the two nations is that of 105 ranks, and it showed throughout the game.
Here are some winners and losers from the friendly:
Winner: Lionel Messi
Coming off the back of another successful season with the Blaugrana, Messi carried his rich vein of form into the international colours too. Starting as one of the two strikers in the 4-4-2 line-up, the No.10 stole the limelight with his eye-catching attacking exploits.
Some magical first-touches and promising runs not only served an amusement to the thronging fans but also set the tone for his evening. Whilst neither of the goals were amazeballs, it was a testament to Messi's excellent positioning. He was in the right place and at the right time in the build-up to his second and third of the evening; a pair of easy but composed finishes from La Pulga inside the box.
This was also his second international hattrick in as many appearances (6th overall), and took his tally to 64, just 7 behind his great rival Ronaldo on the international stage.
Messi is pivotal to Argentina's World Cup hopes as always, but the Russian showpiece may be his last shot at a World Cup glory. And on current evidence, he looks prepared to take the competition by storm.