Doha : Barcelona striker Lionel Messi scored into the injury time as Argentina vanquished Brazil 1-0 in their friendly in Qatar on Wednesday night.
Messi dribbled past two defenders and brilliantly squeezed a shot into the far corner from 18 yards to win it after collecting from Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Five times world champions Brazil had gone close in the first half when Ronaldinho’s back-heel was saved and Dani Alves struck the crossbar.
Argentina also replied with a Messi shot that clipped the outside of the post, but the striker not to be deceived by his left footed shot at the end.
The goal, a typically wonderful effort from the Barcelona maestro, was Messi’s first in five matches against Brazil and earned him his first win against Argentina’s main rivals.
The diminutive Fifa World Player of the Year was looking huge with the ball whenever he moved and finally came to triumphant in the 92 minutes for a goal at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
Brazil’s new coach, appointed after World Cup failure in Germany, Mano Menezes recalled Ronaldinho, who did his best capitalising on his first cap in 17 months but the goal, which was most wanted remained illusive.
Argentina,as usual, was relying heavily on the skills of Messi to get them a goal.
Teams:
Argentina- Romero; Zanetti, Pareja, Burdisso, Heinze; Banega, Mascherano, Pastore; Messi, Higua?n, Di Mar?a.
Brazil- V?ctor; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Andr? Santos; Lucas, El?as; Ramires, Ronaldinho; Robinho, Neymar.