Venezuela 0-2 Argentina: Lautaro Martinez scores again to set up Brazil semi-final showdown

Argentina beat Venezuela 2-0 in the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday and set up a mouthwatering last-four meeting with Brazil.

Striker Lautaro Martinez scored for the second game running to put Argentina in front in the 10th minute with a clever back-heeled finish, diverting in a shot from Sergio Aguero following a corner swung in by captain Lionel Messi.

Lionel Scaloni's side had to weather a series of attacks from Venezuela in the second half and it took a strong save from Franco Armani to prevent Ronald Hernandez from levelling.

Substitute Giovani Lo Celso scored Argentina's badly-needed second goal in the 74th minute, passing a loose ball into an empty net after another shot from Aguero squirmed through the hands of Venezuela goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez.

Lo Celso's tap-in sealed a therapeutic win for Argentina in their first game back at the iconic Maracana stadium since their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, which began a cycle of three consecutive losses in major finals.