Messi magic puts Argentina back on World Cup track

Reuters: A Lionel Messi masterclass, netting a brilliant free kick before laying on two more goals, put Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a resounding 3-0 win over Colombia on Tuesday.

The win lifted Messi’s team, recovering from two successive defeats, into fifth place in the South American group with 19 points, one behind Ecuador and Chile, who beat Uruguay 3-1 with an Alexis Sanchez brace.

Brazil, away to Peru in Lima in a later match, top the table with 24 points while Uruguay are second with 23. Colombia dropped to sixth on 18 points.

The top four go through to the 2018 finals in Russia with the fifth, at present Argentina, qualifying for an intercontinental playoff for another berth.