Lima (AFP)

Brazil came out on top Tuesday of the second day of South American qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, beating Peru in Lima (4-2) thanks to a hat-trick from Neymar.

Brazil retain the lead in these qualifications thanks to a better goal difference (+7 against +2) than Argentina, the only other team to have won their first two matches.

For his 103rd game for the national team, the Paris SG striker became the second highest scorer in the history of the five-time world champions with 64 goals, two more than "Fenomeno" Ronaldo.

Only Pelé did better, with 77 goals in 92 matches.

A record within the reach of Neymar, 28, who scored his first two goals in Lima from the penalty spot.

The opening of Brazil on Friday, against a weak team from Bolivia, had been a walk in the park (5-0).

Tuesday, even if the Peruvians were reduced, with two players last minute withdrawals because of the coronavirus, the Brazilians had much more difficulty for this reissue of the Copa America final that they had won (3-1) in July 2019 at the Maracana.

Previously, Argentina was able to show patience in the face of the ardor of Bolivia to win (2-1) on the heights of La Paz, and sign a second success in these qualifiers for the World-2022.

Argentina knew that Bolivia, made up of players experienced at the altitude of the Hernando Siles Olympic stadium in La Paz, at 3,600 meters, would impose a very hard pace on their players who arrived two days earlier to acclimatize.

Dominated in the duels and in the races, without collective binding, Argentina seemed to seek oxygen in the first period against combative Bolivians on each ball.

Often at a trot, head down, in point of fixation but without offering solutions to his partners, Lionel Messi was not the expected conductor.

With an Argentinian team which stretched the lines to the maximum to limit the big races, "La Pulga" only spent a few defensive folds.

In the other three games of the day, Colombia drew (2-2) with Chile in Santiago, Ecuador dominated Uruguay (4-2) in Quito, and Paraguay beat Venezuela ( 1-0) in Caracas.

Tuesday's results:

Bolivia-Argentina: 1-2

Ecuador-Uruguay: 4-2

Venezuela-Paraguay: 0-1

Peru-Brazil: 2-4

Chile-Colombia: 2-2

Ranking:

Pts MVND Bp Bc

1. Brazil 6 2 2 0 0 9 2

2. Argentina 6 2 2 0 0 3 1

3. Colombia 4 2 1 1 0 5 2

4. Paraguay 4 2 1 1 0 3 2

5. Ecuador 3 2 1 0 1 4 3

6. Uruguay 3 2 1 0 1 4 5

7. Chile 1 2 0 1 1 3 4

8. Peru 1 2 0 1 1 4 6

9. Venezuela 0 2 0 0 2 0 4

10. Bolivia 0 2 0 0 2 1 7

© 2020 AFP