Five key highlights from Colombia's dramatic third-place win against Peru

Luis Diaz scored two minutes from the whistle to guide Los Cafeteros to a dramatic victory.

Colombia finished their relatively underwhelming campaign with a win against Peru to secure third place at Copa America 2021. Having lost out on penalties to Argentina in the semi-final, Los Cafeteros beat Peru 3-2 with Luis Diaz netting a brace.

Colombia pulled off the victory, after going down 0-1 in the first half and led 2-1 for a good chunk of the match. However, Peru's man in-form, Gianluca Lapadula put in an amazing header to equalize with seven minutes left. Diaz, who enjoyed a stunning run of form this tournament, came to the rescue again with a solo effort.

In a match that had constantly changing dynamics, there was plenty to talk about. Here are Khel Now's five key highlights from the encounter:

5. Colombia's ineffectiveness with the ball

For the entirety of the first half, Colombia were the dominant side. They bossed possession for the opening 30 minutes, but looked blunt going forward with the two men upfront. This has seemed to be the case throughout the tournament, as most of the goals have come from the wingers. The plan of targeting the two forwards with long balls from wide players was on display yet again.

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After being dominated in the first part, Peru bounced back and began organizing themselves. Although both the sides had equal number of shots and half chances, Peru were the more incisive ones and got the opening goal towards the end of the first half.

4. Luis Diaz: Colombia's man in-form

The 24-year-old lit Copa America up with his stunning overhead-kick against Brazil and has continued his run since. The FC Porto attacker netted two goals on the night, courtesy of his trademark runs from the left.

Both of Diaz's goals were similar. He made runs into the box to deceive the defenders before cutting in and finding the far corner. With two goals to his name, Diaz has now scored four in this edition. Other than that, Diaz was crucial in making runs with the ball and at times was difficult to deal with for the Peruvian defence.

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3. Peru's attempts to play on the break

The match was all about the sides struggling to get through one another's midfield, making the middle of the pitch jammed. Hence, the match seldom saw teams driving attacks well-built from the back.

Peru were the better side in this regard and they managed to hurt Colombia on the break. Peru's first two promising chances and the goal came from similar moves. Utilizing their fast-paced forwards, Peru managed to get behind the Colombian center-backs to play through balls into the box. On the other hand, Colombia had a slow and predictable approach throughout the game.

2. Gianluca Lapadula: Peru's standout performer

A name that has caught many eyes in this tournament has been Gianluca Lapadula. The Benevento forward has scored three and assisted a goal. He scored Peru's second goal against Colombia. Playing for a side focused mainly on maintaining their defensive shape, Lapadula has done very well to convert limited chances.

Against Colombia, a chance came early, but the 31-year-old could not bury it. Rather, he played a key role in the build-up to Yoshimar Yotun's opening goal. Later, it was Lapadula, who netted a header to make things even, before Peru went 3-2 down in added minutes.

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1. Cuadrado's free-kick through the Peruvian wall

The Colombian side has used Cuadrado in a more out-and-out role, as a wide midfielder to make runs from the channels. While the Juventus full-back looked to do that all night long, Peru's occupation in the wide areas did not see him succeed much.

However, Cuadrado stepped up to the occasion and netted a fre-kick just four minutes into the second half. Placed just outside the box, the 33-year-old went through an opening in the Peruvian wall and equalized for Colombia. Colombia built on this and scored the second in quick succession to lead 2-1.

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