Luis Diaz scored a sensational winner with virtually the last kick of the match as Colombia beat Peru 3-2 in Brasilia on Friday to finish third in the Copa America. The goal was the 24-year-old Porto forward’s second of the match and came just 10 minutes after Gianluca Lapadula looked to have sent the game into a penalty shoot-out.It was a thrilling encounter that ebbed and flowed, with Yoshimar Yotun giving Peru a first half lead before Colombia captain Juan Cuadrado equalized early in the second period. Colombia had the better start and piled on early pressure but Peru held firm despite the ball often pinging around in their box.What a goal from Luis Díaz🔥🔥🔥Unbelievable strike from far out. He does a great job getting away from his man, creating space and the shot was precise. Goodnight Peru😵 pic.twitter.com/CWeMMbZAwU— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) July 10, 2021 And Peru even had the first clear chance on 28 minutes when Christian Cueva’s clever pass found Lapadula, but under pressure from a defender, he fired narrowly wide from just inside the box. Diaz had a chance for Colombia but fired straight at goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. On 40 minutes Sergio Pena left Colombia’s centre back Oscar Murillo on the floor with a clever turn, rounded goalkeeper Camilo Vargas but blazed well over the bar from a tight angle.Peru got the lead they deserved just before the break as Cueva’s precise pass and Lapadula’s clever run took out four defenders to set up Yotun for an emphatic finish. Colombia were back level just four minutes after the break as Cuadrado fired a free-kick through a disintegrating wall and past Gallese at his near post.🇨🇴 Luis Diaz (24) at the Copa America:☑️ 4 starts⚽️ 4 goals🔀 5.2 dribbles won p/g (!)⚔️ 8.6 duels won p/g🥇 1st – Tied – Goals🥇 1st – Scoring Freq🥈 2nd – Dribbles Won🥉 3rd PlaceTop of the scoring charts with Messi and between Messi & Neymar for dribbles won. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ls1aSfGxEO— Football Wonderkids (@fbwonderkids) July 10, 2021 Alexander Callens had given away the free-kick on the edge of the box with a clumsy challenge and compounded his error by jumping away from his fellow members of the wall to create the gap that Cuadrado exploited. Colombia’s tails were up and Cuadrado’s cross picked out man-of-the-match Diaz whose acrobatic overhead kick was parried over by Gallese.The game opened up and the dangerous Lapadula cut inside a defender on the right before firing in a left-foot shot that clipped the bar as it went over. It was end to end stuff with the goalkeepers playing a role in launching long range attacks. Gallese picked out Cueva to run at goal only for a Wilmar Barrios bodycheck to stop him in his tracks.Messi catching the last flight to eternal glory, but Neymar stands in his wayBut then Vargas launched a long ball up field for Diaz to scamper away and beat Gallese with a rasping finish on 66 minutes. Lapadula looked to have sent the match to penalties eight minutes from time when he rose almost unopposed to head home a Raziel Garcia corner from six yards out. But Diaz had the last word with a stunning strike from 25 yards that Gallese could only get his fingertips to as it rifled into the top corner.It was a spectacular match to decide who gets the podium and it was a great warm-up for the big final early on Sunday. It’s Messi against Neymar for the title!COPA AMERICAThird-place play-offSaturdayColombia – Peru 3-2 (0-1)/Cuadrado 49, Diaz 66, 90+4 – Yotun 45, Lapadula 82/FinalSunday03.00: Argentina – Brazil
