Bolivia beats Messi-less Argentina at 3,600 metres above sea level
It wasn't a six-goal thrashing, but Argentina suffocated in La Paz, Bolivia, once again.
On Tuesday, Argentina took the pitch at Hernando Siles without Lionel Messi and fell 2-0 to Bolivia in 2018 World Cup qualifying. Playing at approximately 3,600 metres above sea level, La Albiceleste looked like a headless chicken without the planet's best player, who was serving the first game of a four-match suspension after insulting an assistant referee during the national team's 1-0 win over Chile.
2 - Argentina have conceded at least two goals in four consecutive away games for the first time in WC Qualifiers history. Dazed.
— OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) March 28, 2017
The result marked the seventh time in eight contests that Argentina failed to win without Messi, while La Albiceleste was also forced to play in Bolivia without Javier Mascherano, Gonzalo Higuain, Lucas Biglia, and Nicolas Otamendi - all of whom were suspended after picking up yellow cards on Thursday. Sergio Aguero started on the bench and replaced Angel Correa in the 55th minute.
Bolivia, meanwhile, took the pitch with fresh legs, having rested its best players for El Verde's trip to Colombia. Diego Bejarano, Edward Zenteno, Jorge Flores, Diego Wayar, Raul Castro, Alejandro Chumacero, and Pablo Escobar were spared from their national team's 1-0 defeat to Los Cafeteros and instead kept an eye on the mission against Argentina.
But it was two of Bolivia's players who travelled to Colombia that scored in the humiliation of Argentina. Juan Carlos Arce headed the ball past Sergio Romero in the 30th minute after the Argentinian 'keeper slipped and couldn't adjust his footing in time. Marcelo Martins, who scored in El Verde's 6-1 thrashing of La Albiceleste in 2009, then found the back of the net in the 52nd minute, blasting home a right-footed shot upon being left unmarked.