Argentina are the only side to have beaten Colombia since January 2022, doing so on two occasions, so the hosts were understandably quick out of the traps here as they looked to banish those demons.
However, Nestor Lorenzo’s men nearly saw their positive start undone by a mistake from goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, who was dispossessed on the edge of his own area by Julian Alvarez, but the Atlético Madrid forward couldn’t capitalise as he fired wide from a tight angle.
Colombia recovered from that scare admirably, and by the 25th minute, their efforts were rewarded with a smartly worked opening goal.
James Rodriguez played a one-two from the corner flag, allowing him the space to stand the ball up to the back post where Yerson Mosquera arrived to power home a towering header for his first international goal.
Having failed to register a single shot on target before the interval, Argentina emerged from the dressing rooms a different outfit, levelling proceedings within three minutes of the restart. Nicolás González pounced on a loose square ball across the Colombian midfield, before surging past Mosquera and tucking a smart finish beneath Vargas.
However, the visitors’ joy was short-lived, with Colombia awarded a penalty kick following a VAR review after Nicolas Otamendi’s rash challenge on Daniel Munoz.
Rodriguez stepped up, and despite being faced by penalty-saving sensation Emiliano Martínez, the Colombian captain coolly converted from 12 yards to restore the hosts’ advantage.
The onus was once again on Argentina to respond, but their expansiveness left them vulnerable to counter-attacks, with Jhon Duran spurning a huge chance to put the result beyond doubt as he was thwarted by Aston Villa teammate Martinez.
Colombia continued to look the likelier side to grab the game's fourth goal, with the world champions’ attacking efforts in the final stages leaving plenty to be desired.
As a result, their lead at the top of the CONMEBOL WCQ standings is cut to two points thanks to a second defeat in four WCQ fixtures, while Colombia remain unbeaten in this qualification cycle.
Flashscore Man of the Match: James Rodriguez (Colombia)
