30 March 2016
Juan Cuadrado’s Colombia boosted their aspirations of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a 3-1 victory against Ecuador in Barranquilla on Tuesday night.
Juve’s wing wizard set up Carlos Bacca for the hosts’ final goal in a match they never looked in doubt of winning after the Milan striker netted a brace either side of Sebastian Perez’s strike just after half-time. Michael Arroyo’s 90th minute goal proved to be a mere consolation for the visitors.
Shifting attentions to the several European friendly matches involving members of Massimiliano Allegri’s squad, there was further joy for France, who followed up Friday’s 3-2 triumph over the Netherlands with another high-scoring win, this time on the right side of a 4-2 scoreline against Russia in Paris. Paul Pogba and Patrice Evra played 69 minutes and 45 minutes respectively of this latest victory, as N’Golo Kante, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Dimitri Payet and Kingsley Coman all scored for Les Bleus.
Meanwhile in Munich, Sami Khedira’s Germany defeated Italy 4-1, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze, Jonas Hector and Mesut Oezil all scoring for the hosts, with Stephan El Shaarawy netting a late consolation goal for the Azzurri.
Tuesday proved less profitable for Stephan Lichtsteiner and Switzerland, who lost 2-0 in Zurich to Bosnia and Herzegovina, for whom Roma duo Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic both got their names on the scoresheet.
