Argentina 5-0 Estonia: Lionel Messi scores five times in friendly win
Lionel Messi moved up to fourth in the all-time scoring charts in men's international football Lionel Messi scored all five of Argentina's goals as they continued their fine form by thrashing Estonia in a friendly in Pamplona, Spain. The Argentines swept aside Italy 3-0 in the Finalissima - a game between the champions of Europe and South America - on Wednesday. Messi provided two assists in that game and he was once again in vintage form. He opened the scoring with a penalty and then struck two more goals in either half to complete the rout. It is the first time the 34-year-old has scored five in a game for his country. In fact, he has only ever achieved the feat once before in his career, in a 7-1 win for Barcelona over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2012. His third against Estonia, two minutes after half-time, took him level on 84 goals with Ferenc Puskas as the fourth highest-scorer in the history of men's international football. Fourteen minutes later, his fourth of the game meant he had surpassed the legendary Hungarian and now holds that position outright, behind only Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari (89), Iran's Ali Daei (109) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (117). He would have been closer still to Ronaldo, but the Portuguese scored twice in his country's Nations League win against Switzerland on Sunday. Messi's goals in Pamplona demonstrated his vast array of skills. He put Lionel Scaloni's team ahead with a calm penalty after eight minutes, then doubled the lead with a powerful side-footed effort into the roof of the net from a tight angle. His third was a predatory finish, showing his trademark precision to direct Nahuel Molina's right-wing cross into the bottom corner from 12 yards. His fourth owed much to his alertness. As other players stopped and anticipated a free-kick award that never came, Messi picked up a loose ball, drove into the box, produced a dummy which left the Estonia keeper and a defender lying on the ground and rolled the ball into the empty net. He concluded his remarkable performance when he was again quickest to react to a loose ball and slotted in a low finish from next to the penalty spot with 14 minutes remaining. While Estonia did not provide the sternest of tests, this result - coupled with the victory over Italy, their unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign and last year's Copa America triumph - suggests Messi could yet have a great chance of winning the World Cup, the one trophy that has eluded him in his glittering career. Line-ups Argentina Formation 4-3-3 1Armani 26Molina6Pezzella16Martínez8Acuña 7de Paul5Mac Allister17Gómez 9Álvarez10Messi19Correa 1Armani 26Molina Substituted forMontielat 74'minutes 6Pezzella 16Martínez Substituted forSenesiat 62'minutes 8Acuña Substituted forGonzálezat 73'minutes 7de Paul Substituted forPalaciosat 62'minutes 5Mac Allister Substituted forFoythat 66'minutes 17Gómez 9Álvarez 10Messi 19Correa Substituted forDybalaat 62'minutes Substitutes 2Foyth 3Tagliafico 4Montiel 11Di María 12Rulli 14Palacios 15González 18Rodríguez 20Lo Celso 21Dybala 23Musso 25Senesi Estonia Formation 3-5-2 1Igonen 16Pürg15Paskotsi18Mets 23Teniste21Miller13Soomets4Käit3Pikk 10Zenjov9Sorga 1Igonen 16Pürg Substituted forKuuskat 63'minutes 15Paskotsi 18Mets 23Teniste 21Miller Substituted forVassiljevat 63'minutes 13Soomets 4Käit Substituted forSinyavskiyat 63'minutes 3Pikk Substituted forKallasteat 69'minutes 10Zenjov Substituted forAnierat 45'minutes 9Sorga Substituted forKirssat 83'minutes Substitutes 2Kuusk 5Kreida 6Lukka 7Puri 8Anier 11Sinyavskiy 12Hein 14Vassiljev 17Kirss 19Kallaste 20Poom 22Vallner Live Text Match ends, Argentina 5, Estonia 0. 90'+1' Second Half ends, Argentina 5, Estonia 0. 90'+1' Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick. 90' Paulo Dybala (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 90' Foul by Ken Kallaste (Estonia). 89' Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Taijo Teniste. 89' Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Papu Gómez. 87' Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Matvei Igonen. 87' Attempt saved. Papu Gómez (Argentina) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Exequiel Palacios. 85' Papu Gómez (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 85' Foul by Taijo Teniste (Estonia). 84' Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Karol Mets. 84' Attempt blocked. Paulo Dybala (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. 83' Substitution, Estonia. Robert Kirss replaces Erik Sorga. 82' Foul by Papu Gómez (Argentina). 82' Erik Sorga (Estonia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 82' Attempt blocked. Vlasiy Sinyavskiy (Estonia) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ken Kallaste. 79' Juan Foyth (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 79' Foul by Henri Anier (Estonia).
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