Argentina avoided a repeat of their group stage loss to Paraguay, by being merciless in their attacks, producing a stunning 6-1 victory and setting up a final Copa América date with hosts Chile on 4 July.

La Albiceleste got off to the perfect start, with Marcos Rojo sweeping a Lionel Messi free kick home from 12 yards with just over a quarter of an hour gone.

Javier Pastore then doubled Argentina’s lead in the 27th minute – Messi again supplying the assist – as he fired a low drive past Justo Villar from the top of the box. Paraguay lost both Derlis González and Roque Santa Cruz to injury in the opening half an hour, but that paved the way for Argentina-born Lucas Barrios to enter the match and he halved the deficit with a powerful strike on the brink of half time.

However, Gerardo Martino’s men responded in superb fashion as Ángel Di María found the back of the net twice within eight minutes of the restart, putting Paraguay’s hopes of a repeat of their first-phase comeback against his side to bed.

Ramón Díaz’s crestfallen team had no response, and their misery was compounded when Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín took Argentina’s tally to six in the closing stages – moving them a step closer to ending a 22-year major trophy drought.

Taking on Martino’s former team, La Albiceleste started well and built on that – but victory only looked safe after the pair of goals early in the second half.

Messi was at the heart of most of their attacking moves, assisting three goals and playing a huge part in two others.

In that form, the Barcelona superstar may yet lead Argentina to their first major title since the 1993 Copa América.

*Abridged report from Copa América website.