{"id":304381,"date":"2017-03-24T08:27:56","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T08:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=304381"},"modified":"2017-03-24T08:27:56","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T08:27:56","slug":"2018-world-cup-qualifiers-lionel-messi-goal-lifts-argentina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/03\/2018-world-cup-qualifiers-lionel-messi-goal-lifts-argentina\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 World Cup Qualifiers: Lionel Messi goal lifts Argentina"},"content":{"rendered":"
A Paulinho brace helped Brazil to a 4-1 victory over Uruguay in a clash of the top two teams in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Uruguay were awarded a penalty on nine minutes when Alisson took down Edinson Cavani after the PSG striker had beaten the Brazil keeper to a chested back-pass from left-back Marcelo.<\/p>\n
Cavani then stepped up and powered his shot low and to the right of Alisson to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.<\/p>\n
Paulinho scored the first of his goals to put Brazil level in the 19th minute \u2014 the Guangzhou Evergrande man rifling home from distance after picking up the ball unmarked.<\/p>\n
Paulinho put Brazil in front after the break, pouncing onto a spilled save of a Roberto Firmino shot and punching home from close range for his third goal in as many games for his country.<\/p>\n
Neymar then sealed the points in the 75th \u2014 the Barcelona superstar racing onto a lobbed through ball behind the defence and chipping over goalkeeper Martin Silva who\u2019d come out of his net.<\/p>\n
And Paulinho added his third just before the final whistle with a close chested finish from a cross.<\/p>\n
The win puts Brazil, now on 30 points from 13 matches, in a commanding lead ahead of the second-placed Uruguayans, who have 23.<\/p>\n