Argentina thrash Burkina Faso 7-0
Argentina scored five first-half goals.
Argentina beat Burkina Faso 7-0 in an international friendly in Buenos Aires on Saturday (3 October), continuing their strong run after the World Cup.
Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone scored for Argentina. Burkina Faso defender Moumoune Diallo also scored an own goal.
Argentina took the lead in the fourth minute. Martinez scored from the rebound after the Burkina Faso goalkeeper saved his penalty.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Diallo then scored an own goal before Prestianni, Paz and Alvarez added three more goals. Argentina went into half-time with a 5-0 lead.
Mastantuono and Simeone scored in the second half to complete the win.
Burkina Faso arrived in Buenos Aires just five hours before kick-off after a technical issue forced the cancellation of their flight from Morocco.
Several senior players also decided not to travel because of fatigue. As a result, Burkina Faso fielded a young team.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni thanked the Burkina Faso players who travelled to Argentina despite the problems.
"They could have stayed, and the match could have been cancelled. We are enormously grateful they have been able to come because they made the effort," he added.
Lionel Messi did not play after arriving in Argentina on Friday (2 October). He is expected to feature in Tuesday's (6 October) friendly against Benin at the Monumental.
The match against Benin will mark Messi's formal farewell from international football after a 21-year career with Argentina.
