Copa América 2007 favourites Argentina have beaten Paraguay 1-0 in their final Copa América 2007 Group C Match at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barquisimeto on Thursday, with a superb strike from Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano taking the Albiceleste to the top of Group C, where they face Peru in the quarter-finals, with Paraguay playing Mexico in their quarter-final.

West Ham United striker Carlos Alberto Tevez started the match for the Albiceleste, after having only featured as a substitute in Argentina’s previous Group C matches, with Argentina head coach Alfio Basile making a host of changes for the Group C match.

Basile also called Nicolas Burdisso, Daniel Alberto Díaz, Hugo Benjamín Ibarra, Pablo Aimar, Fernando Gago and Luis Oscar González to start for the Albiceleste after not featuring as starters in their last match.

Roberto Ayala, Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze, Gabriel Milito, Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, Juan Roman Riquelme, Inter Milan’s Juan Sebastian Verón - who has been on-loan with Estudiantes in Argentina for the past season - and Barcelona star winger Lionel Andrés Messi all started the game on the bench.

Argentina came out of the traps quickly, with Paraguay having to defend early on and Aldo Antonio Bobadilla making some decent stops to keep Paraguay from conceding early on.

Pablo Aimar had his diving header go just wide of the Paraguay post in the 13th minute as Argentina began to take control of the match.

Paraguay had their first break when Nelson Cuevas did well to make himself some space in the Argentina penalty area, but he took his time to take a shot and eventually was forced to play back to Edgar Daniel González, who blazed his shot high and wide of Roberto Abbondanzieri in the Argentina goal.

Salvador Cabañas had Paraguay’s best chance of the first-half, shooting from close-range at a tight angle to force Abbondanzieri into a good blocking save.

Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago had a long-range shot to give the first of two late scares to Paraguay, but his shot rose over the bar, then again with González almost connecting with a dangerous cross from Cambiasso, which only needed the slightest of touches to take it past Bobadilla to score.

The half ended 0-0, with Paraguay coming into the game as the first-half progressed, but with Argentina the team in control of the game.

Argentina continued with their pressure in the second-half, with Carlos Tevez hitting the outside of the post, but despite their command in possession, they consistently failed to make any incision until Barcelona winger Lionel Messi came on in the 67th minute, replacing Esteban Cambiasso and Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano came on for Luis Oscar González.

Carlos Tevez had a long-range shot go over the bar in the 72nd minute, but they finally got their breakthrough when Messi made a break into the penalty area, passing back to fellow substitute Javier Mascherano, with the Liverpool midfielder perfectly placing the ball into the corner of the net past the diving Aldo Antonio Bobadilla to take Argentina into the lead.

Argentina held on to their slender advantage to give them a vital Group C win over former group leaders Paraguay, with Argentina due to face Peru in the quarter-finals, and Paraguay facing Mexico in their quarter-final, with both games being played on July 8.

Full teamsheet for Argentina v Paraguay in their final Copa América 2007 Group C Match:

Argentina Team: Roberto Abbondanzieri, Nicolas Burdisso, Daniel Alberto Díaz, Hugo Benjamín Ibarra, Javier Aldemar Zanetti, Pablo Aimar, Esteban Cambiasso (Lionel Andrés Messi, 67), Fernando Gago, Luis Oscar González (Javier Mascherano, 67), Rodrigo Palacio, Carlos Alberto Tevez.

Argentina substitutes not used: Juan Pablo Carrizo, Agustín Ignacio Orión, Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Heinze, Gabriel Milito, Juan Roman Riquelme, Juan Sebastian Verón, Alberto Diego Milito.

Paraguay Team: Aldo Antonio Bobadilla, Julio César Cáceres, Julio César Manzur, Dario Verón, Julio Daniel Dos Santos, Edgar Daniel González (Edgar Barreto, 69), Jonathan Santana (Roque Santa Cruz, 81), Aureliano Torres, Enrique Daniel Vera, Salvador Cabañas, Nelson Cuevas (Dante López, 58).

Paraguay substitutes not used: Justo Villar, Joel Fernando Zayas, Paulo Da Silva, Claudio Morel Rodriguez, Carlos Bonet, Christian Riveros, José Domingo Salcedo, Oscar Rene Cardozo.