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Argentina national football team
Copa America | Group Stage
Jun 13, 2015 at 10.30pm UK
 
Paraguay national football team

2-2

Aguero (29'), Messi (36' pen.)
FT(HT: 2-0)
Valdez (60'), Barrios (90')

Team News: Lionel Messi returns to spearhead Argentina attack

Champions League winners Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano come straight back into the Argentina starting lineup for their Copa America opener against Paraguay.

Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano have returned to the Argentina starting lineup for their opening match in the Copa America against Paraguay.

Both players missed Gerardo Martino's men's 5-0 win over Bolivia in their last warm-up match before the tournament due to their exploits in Barcelona's Champions League triumph over Juventus last week.

Messi replaces Ezequiel Lavezzi to partner Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria in attack, while Mascherano drops into midfield in place of Fernando Gago.

Paraguay start former Premier League players Roque Santa Cruz and Paulo Da Silva, who spent time at Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland respectively.

Santa Cruz will lead the line alongside Raul Bobadilla and Nelson Valdez, while Da Silva will anchor the defence with Marcos Caceres.

Argentina: Romero, Roncaglia, Garay, Otamendi, Rojo, Banega, Mascherano, Pastore, Messi, Aguero, Di Maria
Subs: Gago, Biglia, Pererya, Higuain, Guzman, Casco, Demichelis, Tevez, Lamela, Lavezzi, Andujar, Zabaleta

Paraguay: Silva, M Caceres, Da Silva, Pablo Aguilar, Samudio, V Caceres, Ortigoza, Ortiz, Valdez, Santa Cruz, Bobadilla
Subs: Villar, Piris, Bruno Valdez, Barrios, Gonzalez, Benitez, Molinas, Martinez, Balbuena, Romero, Aranda, A Aguilar

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Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain celebrates with teammates Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Lucas Biglia after scoring the opening goal against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup quarter-final in Brasilia on July 5, 2014
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina33009
Q Canada Canada31114
3 Chile Chile30212
4 Peru flag Peru30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Venezuela Venezuela33009
Q Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Jamaica Jamaica30030

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Uruguay flag Uruguay33009
Q Panama flag Panama32016
3 United States USA31023
4 Bolivia flag Bolivia30030

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Colombia Colombia32107
Q Brazil Brazil31205
3 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31114
4 Paraguay flag Paraguay30030


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