Argentina have beaten Colombia 4-2 in their Copa América Group C match on Monday night, with Colombia fighting back in the second-half to set-up a tense finish to the match. Argentina have now qualified for the knockout stages of the Copa América 2007.

Edixon Perea opened for Colombia, with Inter Milan striker Hernán Crespo levelling with a penalty for Argentina and Juan Roman Riquelme scoring two first-half goals to give Alfio Basile a two-goal lead at the break, with Jaime Alberto Castrillón pulling a goal back for Colombia and Gabriel Milito sealing the win for Argentina.

Edixon Perea opened for Colombia in the 10th minute, back-heeling in from a free-kick from Vargas, with Hernán Crespo equalising for Argentina in the 20th minute from the penalty-spot, but immediately pulling-up and signalling to the Argentine bench that he was injured.

The 31-year-old former Manchester United striker incurred what (on first reports) seems to be a thigh injury while slamming home the penalty to equalise for the Albiceleste and was replaced by Diego Milito.

Crespo looks certain to miss Argentina’s final match in Group C, against Paraguay and possibly the rest of the tournament, depending on the severity of his injury.

Soon after Crespo's retirement, Juan Roman Riquelme crept into the Colombia penalty-area to header home a second goal for Argentina in the 34th minute, with another goal from Riquelme minutes before the end of the first-half to give Argentina a healthy lead at the break.

Colombia pushed hard in the second-half, with Argentina seemingly content with their two-goal lead, but the 'Los Cafeteros' managed to pull a goal back in the 73rd minute when Jaime Alberto Castrillón broke through the Albiceleste defence to slot past Roberto Abbondanzieri in the Argentina goal.

This set-up a nervous end to the second-half for Argentina, who thought they were cruising to a win with Colombia coming close again, hitting the crossbar and giving some hope to the 'Los Cafeteros'.

Fabián Andrés Vargas was sent-off the pitch in injury-time as the Colombian tempers began to fray, and with the loss Argentina immediately smashed any hopes of an equaliser when, in the second minute of injury-time, substitute Carlos Tevez looped a header into the path of fellow substitute Gabriel Milito, whose deflected shot looped over Miguel Angel Calero to make it 4-1 to Argentina.

The Albiceleste are now on their way to the knockout stages of the Copa América 2007, Venezuela.

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