Lionel Messi put on a signature dribbling masterclass as Argentina defeated Colombia on penalties to book their spot in the 2021 Copa America final against eternal rivals Brazil.
The Argentina captain rolled back the years and showed that he has still got it, as he shrugged off much larger Colombian defenders as if it meant nothing – as seen from his individual highlights that has gone viral following the semi-final tie.
The ease with which Messi uses his low centre of gravity to get past opponents nearly twice his size is astonishing, to say the least.
The Barcelona forward turned 34 last month, but he showed that he has still got it and some – his signature ability to leave significantly larger opponents catching thin air was put on display against Colombia.
Messi twisted and turned like a ballerina to complete nine out of 12 attempted dribbles on the night, and more often than not, emerged on the winning side of duels – he won a whopping total of 15 duels to help Argentina fend off Colombian pressure throughout the game.
Footage from the match that has since gone viral on Twitter showed Messi running rings around the significantly taller Colombian backline – all four defenders in the Colombian back-four measure at over six feet.
Despite the intimidating defenders constantly trying to foul him, the 5 feet 7 inches-tall Messi proved to be too hot to handle – as he has done all his career for club and country.
Messi looked like a man on a mission as he went past defenders like they were cones despite being kicked all throughout the match, and he also created five chances – one of them was to set up Lautaro Martinez for the Albiceleste’s early opener.
Messi capped off his night with a brilliantly taken penalty in the shoot-out, as Argentina await a date with Brazil in Sunday’s final.
Even at the age of 34, Lionel Messi is still the hardest player to beat 1v1 🐐 pic.twitter.com/4Y3QSEckQM
— Hamza (@lapulgafreak) July 8, 2021
