It wasn’t a vintage performance and it won’t have anyone suddenly thinking Gerardo Martino is the perfect man for the job but Argentina earned the victory that they were in such desperate need of against Colombia. The hosts were effectively nullified and La Albiceleste should have extended their advantage on the break. Only three and a half days after the Brazil match, Lucas Biglia was outstanding in midfield but here are the Golazo player ratings….

Sergio Romero – 5.5

Another somewhat shaky performance from the Manchester United backup keeper but crucially a clean sheet. Chiquito did well to recover from Ramiro Funes Mori’s wayward header and thwart a near calamitous first hald goal but recklessly came off his line late on and almost allowed Jeison Murillo to equalise.

Gabriel Mercardo – 7

The inclusion of Mercado at right-back was not only a surprise but a slight cause for concern prior to kick off but the River Plate defender defied his critics and gave a solid performance. Colombia didn’t stretch Argentina a great deal down the flanks but Mercado stood to his task and was unfortunate to be forced off late on with a head injury.

Nicolás Otamendi – 8.5

If Funes Mori was the pick of the defence against Brazil, Otamendi shaded things against Colombia with another powerful performance. Carlos Bacca and Teo Gutiérrez had no joy as Otamendi dominated in every one-on-one situation and the signs of a growing partnership with his central defensive partner are promising.

Ramiro Funes Mori – 7.5

Everton’s Ramiro Funes Mori has well and truly announced himself on the international scene and will be pushing Ezequiel Garay for a centre-back spot when the Zenit defender is fit again. A slightly nervy first half after his misplaced header back to Sergio Romero almost ended in disaster was more than made up for during a second half when he and Otamendi snuffed out any attacks.

Marcos Rojo – 6.5

Rojo was perhaps given the hardest time over the 90 minutes by Colombia with right-back Helibelton Palacios looking to overlap at pace. The Manchester United defender stuck to his task, particularly in the second half, and contributed to the clean sheet.

Lucas Biglia – 9

Biglia’s first goal for Argentina was a hugely significant one but aside from the Lazio midfielder emerging as the surprise match winner his overall contribution was vast. The 29-year-old covered every blade of grass in Barranquilla and gave Argentina a presence in midfield that has been lacking in recent matches. Particularly in the absence of Lionel Messi, La Albiceleste have been crying out for players from midfield that were willing and able to link and join the attack and despite only playing Brazil, three and a half days earlier, Biglia went from box-to-box for 90 minutes.

Javier Mascherano – 7.5

The midfield battle in Barranquilla was always likely to be vital and Mascherano led his troops to victory in his usual style. Colombian dangerman, James Rodríguez was given very little time and space to make an impact and the only blot against El Jefecito was his silly yellow card which will rule him out of the trip to Chile in March.

Éver Banega – 8.5

Banega’s performances in these qualifiers have been a real highlight and certainly put him well ahead of Javier Pastore when Martino is looking for a midfielder to play in this advanced role. Once more, Banega was intelligent in possession, creative in his passing and effective in his pressing and has surely done enough to retain a place in the starting eleven even when injured players return.

Ángel Di María – 7

Di María had something of a mixed afternoon and was subjected to a physical encounter by the Colombian defence. His pace provided a ready outlet for the counter and the Paris St Germain wide-man got himself into plenty of dangerous positions. His missed chance shortly after Argentina took the lead when one-on-one with David Ospina could have really put La Albiceleste in the driving seat and thankfully it did not come back to haunt the side.

Gonzalo Higuaín – 7

The goal that Higuaín needs since his return to the national side still eludes him but that did not prevent the Napoli striker having a good game at the point of the attack. His early miss from Di María’s low cross should not overshadow some excellent hold-up play and certainly Pipita provided enough evidence to suggest that he still has an important role in Martino’s squad.

Ezequiel Lavezzi – 7

Another hard working display from Ezequiel Lavezzi had the Paris St Germain forward covering an awful lot of ground. Along with Di María, his pace and willingness to break meant Argentina always had an out-ball to try and counter Colombia. A vital goal against Brazil and an assist in Barranquilla is a decent return for Lavezzi – a player often criticized for lacking an end-product.

Substitutes

Paulo Dybala – 7.5

Another 20 minutes of international football for Paulo Dybala and in what was certainly his brightest cameo to date, the youngster should really have celebrated his first Albiceleste goal. A tight offside call denied him what looked like a pretty legitimate goal and shortly after only the width of the post prevented him from wrapping up an Argentina victory. The goal didn’t come but it was a bright performance which stretched a tired Colombian defence.

Gino Peruzzi – 7

Perhaps Peruzzi would have felt a little aggrieved to see Mercado get the nod in the starting eleven but he did get a few minutes when the River defender went off injured. In the short space of time, Peruzzi did everything that was asked of him and broke forward well to create the opportunity for which Dybala hit the post.

Enzo Pérez – n/a 

Was only on the pitch for a matter of minutes.