Messi and Martinez score twice in Argentina win

Maryland (Agencies): Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez both scored twice as Argentina beat Guatemala 4-1 in their final Copa America warm-up game in Maryland.

Argentina were given an early scare when an own goal after four minutes by Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez put Guatemala ahead – their first ever goal against the reigning World Cup and Copa America champions.

But Messi equalised eight minutes later when keeper Nicholas Hagen cleared the ball straight into his path and the Argentina captain scored into an empty net. Lautaro Martinez, who finished as Serie A’s top scorer last season, put Argentina ahead with a 39th-minute penalty and the Inter Milan star scored his second from a Messi pass after the break.

“We are aiming for the title, we are fighting for everything,” he told TyC Sports. “We said it when the Copa America ended in 2021 and when the World Cup ended, we will try to prepare ourselves to start the Copa America in the best possible way and hopefully it will be all joy.”

Messi claimed his second in the 77th minute after a superb pass from substitute Angel di Maria. The tournament runs in the United States from 20 June to 14 July, with coach Lionel Scaloni’s side starting their campaign against Canada on Thursday before group games against Chile and Peru. “We’re going to keep trying to do our best, we still want to keep winning titles,” added Messi. “It will be harder and harder, the games are getting tougher, winning [the Copa] again is hard, but we will try again.”