Colombia 3-2 Peru
Colombia finished their Copa America campaign with a third-placed finish as they bested Peru in a five-goal thriller last Friday night.
It looked like Los Cafeteros and Los Incas were headed to a penalty shootout when things got tense late in the game, but a hero stepped up big for the Colombians.
Luis Diaz showed up when it mattered most and his brace, which includes his superb stoppage time goal, sealed the deal for Los Cafeteros.
The win was a great ending for Reinaldo Rueda’s side especially since they’ve been struggling to find their stride prior to this contest.
On the other hand, it was a valiant effort for Peru and they’ve done pretty well considering their modest expectations in this competition.
Although they were unable to recreate their 2019 finals run, Ricardo Gareca’s side has defied the SBOTOP Copa America 2021 odds by making it this far.
As we’re reaching the conclusion of this competition, let us re-live yesterday’s fixture by reviewing the Copa America 2021 highlights.
Highlights of the game
Colombia started the game on the right foot when they controlled possession early in the first half. And while they’re at it, they tested Peru’s goal in a couple of instances.
Their first chance came when Juan Cuadrado set up Yerry Mina and Oscar Murillo from set pieces but they couldn’t head the ball in. Meanwhile, Duvan Zapata tried his best to evade Peru’s backline to sneak inside the box but he couldn’t overcome their wall of defenders.
Despite being restricted to ball chasers, Los Incas made the most out of their limited chances by trying to counterattack.
Peru came close to scoring the first goal when their top threat in Andre Carrillo launched from long range.
Gianluca Lapadula tried to bend the ball into the net a few minutes later after receiving a clever ball from Christian Cueva. However, the ball went too wide on the right side.
After a lively back-and-forth between the two nations, everything changed in the 45th minute when the Peruvians broke through with yet another counter as Christian Cueva teed up Yoshimar Yotun and the midfielder chipped a shot over a rushing Camilo Vargas.
But right after the break, the Colombians answered back as Juan Cuadrado squeezed the ball in during the 49th minute after winning a free-kick right on the edge of the box.
Few minutes later, Luis Diaz tested Peru’s goal when he attempted a bicycle kick coming from a Juan Cuadrado cross but Pedro Gallese was there to block the ball.
However, the Porto winger would get his redemption in the 66th minute when he collected a long ball and raced past multiple Peru defenders to finish easily past Gallese.
Down by one goal, Peru refused to give up and they got their equaliser when Gianluca Lapadula got a free header in the 82nd minute when he was left unmarked during a corner.
With the game looking like it was headed to the penalty shootout, Reinaldo Rueda made one key change for Los Cafeteros that essentially won the game.
Luis Muriel was brought in to replace Wilmar Barrios and the Atalanta striker got an assist when he played the ball into Luis Diaz’s path and the 24-year-old scored a screamer in added time.
Key statistics
Last night’s win was a big morale boost for Colombia considering what they’ve been through in this competition.
Prior to yesterday, Los Cafeteros have never scored more than one goal in their last six games here in the Copa America.
Luis Diaz’s stock will definitely go up and it’s probable that he’ll be on the scouts’ radars after this tournament as the 24-year-old is Colombia’s leading scorer with four goals – which is level with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot trophy.
After a lacklustre start, Gianluca Lapadula has now scored in three of their last four matches in this tournament. The Benevento striker is at third in the Golden Boot race behind Lionel Messi and Luis Diaz with three goals.
Colombia have now raised the third place trophy for the fifth time. Meanwhile, Peru have now finished within the top four in four out of their last five.
What’s next?
There’s one more game left in the Copa America and it is going to be a cracker.
Check out the epic finale between Argentina and Brazil tomorrow as two old friends in Lionel Messi and Neymar meet at the biggest stage.
Meanwhile, Colombia and Peru will have months to prepare for the continuation of the World Cup qualifiers group stage.
Colombia will face Bolivia while Peru are set to square off against Uruguay on September 2.
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